


Blood vs. Water

by lefty97



Category: Dreamcatcher (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Royalty, F/F, Gay, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Mild Language, Minor Character Death, Rating May Change, Violence, side suayeon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:00:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 72,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26099803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lefty97/pseuds/lefty97
Summary: Minji has always been at the heart of the revolution. She lost everything she loves to the crown and will stop at nothing to tear the king to shreds. What happens when she is captured by the king. Will she survive? Does she even care if she does?Meanwhile, Yoohyeon lives a sheltered life as a princess. Little does she know her father's reign of terror has created some angry people in the kingdom. When she meets a beautiful prisoner who warns her of her father's wrongdoings, how will Yoohyeon react? Who can she trust and where will her loyalty lie?
Relationships: Kim Bora | SuA/Lee Siyeon, Kim Minji | JiU/Kim Yoohyeon
Comments: 155
Kudos: 251





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi :) This is my first time writing a fanfic that isn't a one-shot, so please go easy on me. I'm currently only finished with chapter three of this story, so even I don't know where it's going yet. Hope you like it!
> 
> Also, there will be random small appearances from other idols, but they're really random, so please don't take any of those pairings or characters too seriously.

Minji had been raised to stir up trouble, good trouble, as her parents called it. Ever since she was young her parents had tried to instill strong morals into her – morals that greatly differed from those of the law – and now as a young adult she is putting those lessons to good use. 

At just twenty-two Minji had secured her place at almost the head of the revolution. Started by her parents before they were brutally executed by the King, Minji knows that a revolution needs to happen for the sake of her people. In a way, she feels bad for the King. He had been a kind, generous ruler before he lost his wife to the same plague that killed Minji’s twin, Jin, fifteen years ago. Ever since the plague, life had been miserable for almost everyone in the kingdom. Raging poverty, lack of clean water, and royal guards roaming the streets looking for any reason to imprison an innocent man, woman or child. Something needed to change, and Minji was hoping that change was coming soon. 

\--- --- --- ---

“Hey SuA?” Minji called over her shoulder as she continued down the long, winding path of the forest that led to the outskirts of the village, the same place key members of the revolution got together regularly.

“Yes Minji?” SuA, Minji’s longtime friend, responded back.

“So, I’ve been thinking –“

“That’s never a good thing!” SuA butted in with a small chuckle. 

“Ha very funny.” Minji rolled her eyes at SuA’s antics. The two had been friends ever since Minji could remember and had only grown closer over the last few years as Minji had lost her parents, who had been her only remaining family members. “But really, I’ve been thinking that it’s about time to take the next step. We’ve finally got the numbers – nearly a third of the village’s population! And we have the weapons, and after you were able to acquire the blueprints for the castle, I think we finally stand a chance to take down the King. I plan on proposing we attack one week from tomorrow before any more harm comes to our people.”

“Minji,” SuA sighed, glancing regretfully at her companion, “There are still many angles that need to be considered. You know this. Remember? We went over them last meeting when you suggested we proceed with the attack. Such as what happens after the King is killed? The royal family has too many supporters. They will never settle for someone new leading them if any of the royal family remains. The King may deserve to die, but what about Princess Yoohyeon and Princess Gahyeon?”

“That’s easy, we imprison them. And the members of the royal guard and others loyal to the King will come around. They have to. Even the highest-ranking knights aren’t treated with the respect they deserve under this so called leadership!”

“Hey, relax.” SuA reached out a hand and ever so gently placed it on Minji’s shoulder. SuA knew how much this meant to Minji. She had lost everything because of the King. Her family, her freedom, her innocence…

Minji clenched her fist at her side as she tried to stop the tears from escaping. All she’s done since her parents were executed three years ago was cry. Crying was a weakness and she couldn’t have a chink in her armor if she planned to lead her people to freedom from this authoritative ruler.

“I just wish the pain would go away, and it will, once the King is killed for everything he has done,” Minji huffed out.

“Okay, we’ll bring it up to Wonwoo again tonight. I’m sure he’ll be able to help think of a way to get some of the members of the guard on our side once the King is gone and hopefully then we’ll –“

“And if he can’t then we’ll just kill the daughters too.” Minji’s eyes were filled with a hatred that SuA had rarely seen from the normally compassionate and warm girl she had grown to love as her sister. Sure, losing Jin at such a young age and then watching her parents die in front of her eyes had somewhat hardened Minji, but she still cared about people and had only ever wished harm on the man that was responsible for destroying their village and the lives of those in it. “Right? I mean if the only issue is loyalty to the crown, then ridding this kingdom of all its royal blood seems like the best approach for a fresh start.”

“Minji, his daughters are innocent though…hell, Princess Gahyeon is only a child. We have no idea if they have any say in any of the King’s moves, or if they are even aware of what life is like outside of the castle!”

Minji and SuA had finally arrived at the run-down cottage where they were set to meet with Wonwoo and a few other members of the rebellion. Minji was halfway up the steps when SuA grabbed her arm to hold her back. “This conversation isn’t over Minji. You’re crazy if you think Wonwoo will support a plan that puts anyone other than the King in harm’s way.”

“Yeah, we’ll see…” Minji muttered as she roughly tore her arm out of SuA’s grip. She continued to stomp her way up the stairs and forcibly flung the door open sending dust flying everywhere. SuA clambered behind her, desperately trying to grab the door before it slammed shut and drew any unwanted attention. Both girls slid past the doorway and headed towards the basement.

Once down there, Minji instantly knew something was amiss, Wheein, Wonwoo’s wife, was sitting in the middle of the floor crying. Minji instantly ran towards Wheein, who, in a way, had become a second mother to Minji. “What’s wrong Wheein? Where’s Wonwoo?” In response, Wheein’s silent tears turned into breathy sobs, she could barely lift her head up enough to make eye contact with Minji.

“He’s…he’s – oh god!” Wheein sniffled out. “I – he – the royal guard did a ‘random search’ of our home and found the blueprint to the castle and – and…” she slowly trailed off into the saddest wail of despair Minji had ever heard coming from a mouth other than her own. 

“He’s been taken into custody and is set to be executed publicly tomorrow at noon.” Someone from the back of the room mumbled. Minji didn’t even bother to look at whoever said it. It didn’t matter. All she knew was Wonwoo was in custody and she felt as helpless as she did when her parents were taken from her. She slowly squats down and places a hand on Wheein’s back.

“I’m so sorry, Wheein.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Some Violence and Language  
> Flashbacks are in italics :)

_“Minji, darling, come here!” Minji’s mom called to her daughter from the doorway of their cozy cottage. Minji, who had been playing dolls with SuA, begrudgingly handed her doll, Annie, to SuA, and joined her mother inside._

_“What is it mom?” The seven-year-old girl asked in her squeaky voice._

_“It’s time for SuA to go home now, sweetie.” Minji’s mom spoke slowly and had Minji not been so focused on how her playtime with her new best friend was being cut short, she would have noticed the sorrowful tone that laced her mother’s words._

_“But mom, that’s no fair! You promised SuA could stay for dinner.” Minji pouted, her bottom lip jutted out as she crossed her arms over her chest._

_“Listen to your mother, Minji. SuA leaves. Now.” Minji heard her father call out as he came from the kitchen to help his wife handle the more stubborn one of their two children. Immediately seeing the stern look on his face, Minji nodded, and rushed outside to tell SuA they would have to resume the tea party at a later date._

_Minji returned moments later and was about to march off to her bedroom when her mother put her hand on her shoulder. “Sweetie,” Minji’s mom murmured, “It’s time to say goodbye.” Those words caused Minji to freeze mid-step._

_“I thought you said he was getting better mommy?” The young girl clawed at her mother’s blouse as she peered into the other woman’s eyes pleadingly._

_“We thought he was dear…” Minji’s mother gave Minji a sad smile, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Come on now.” Minji took the outstretched hand and slowly walked with her mother into Jin’s room. Minji leaned on the frame of the doorway as she looked longingly at her brother. He had once seemed so big and strong, at least to the tiny Minji, but the disease had made him frail and ashen._

_“I love you Jin Jin,” Minji whispered as she walked towards his bedside and laid her hand on his. “Do you love me too?” The young girl desperately urged her brother to utter the words he usually refused to say. Minji knew he loved her, she did, but sometimes it felt good to hear him say it._

_“Of course, Minji. I love you so much.” Jin gave Minji’s hand a light squeeze before a violent cough erupted from his chest._

_“Alright Minji, let’s let Jin rest.” Her father slowly guided a tearful Minji out of the bedroom and towards the kitchen. “How about I make some stew, your favorite.”_

_Minji just peered over her shoulder to get another glance at Jin. Their mother was by his side soothingly rubbing his back as the young boy continued to struggle to catch his breath after the violent coughing fit. She then took her father’s hand and followed him out of the bedroom, knowing that likely when she woke up the next morning Jin would be dead, and he was._

\--- --- --- ---

Minji was stood next to SuA in the town square awaiting Wonwoo’s execution. The two girls were surrounded by all the other villagers as these events were made mandatory by the King. And as seeing how the King appeared to relish in bringing misery unto his kingdom, these executions often occurred one or two times a week, for much less than conspiracy to seize control of the castle, which had been Wonwoo’s sentencing. Minji recalls just last week when a young woman no older than her had faced public execution for stealing a few tomatoes from the market to try and feed her family. However, people taken into the King’s custody didn’t always face execution; they would occasionally just disappear and never be heard from again. There were plenty of rumors about what happened to these people. Theories ranged from banishment to rotting away in the dungeon to extremes such as being placed in sexual servitude to the King or one of his royal guards. Minji shivered at the thought.

“What are we going to do SuA?” Minji whispered to the woman standing just to her right. “We can’t let him die like this.”

“There’s nothing to do Minji…any sort of interference will just end in more death, you know that.” SuA glanced at the older woman, silently pleading with Minji not to do anything rash.

Minji’s eyes began to water as she saw Wonwoo being led out to the center of the square by the members of the guard. Had Minji not known the man, he wouldn’t have been recognizable to her. It looked as though he had already been beaten within an inch of his life; his clothes were tattered, there were cuts and bruises scattering his entire body, and his right eye was swollen shut. SuA instinctively grabbed Minji’s hand as she took in the scene.

“Today, we gather here to witness justice being served.” Siyeon, the captain of the guard, shouted out to the masses. “This man here is guilty of treason. He had plans to invade the castle and bring harm upon your King.” Several gasps and murmurs broke out among those present to view the execution. Minji reached into the back pocket of her trousers, she had never been fond of the dresses that women were meant to wear, and fingered the handle of the dagger she had hastily grabbed before heading out.

“It has come to the King’s attention that there were plans of an uprising, a supposed ‘revolt’ to overthrow the King. And it seems we have caught the head of the snake. I suggest any other members of this little rebellion let their plans die with this man, as any talk of rebelling will result in your death.” Siyeon’s voice echoed throughout the now quiet square. “As always, we will begin with the whipping…fifteen lashes before being hung.”

With that Siyeon stepped to the side and allowed another member of the guard to force Wonwoo onto his knees as his wrists were shackled to two opposing pillars often used in these sadistic rituals.

Wonwoo finally lifted his head up and searched the sea of people for Wheein, who was close to the front of the crowd, just a row in front of Minji and SuA. Minji’s heart continued to break as she saw Wonwoo make eye contact with Wheein and painfully husk out an “I love you” before the whip was brought down brutally upon his back.

“One.” Siyeon called out coldly as Wonwoo let out an agonizing scream. Minji had only ever once witnessed someone take their whipping without any cries of pain, her own father.

“Two.”

_“Father, no!” A panicked Minji gasped out as she watched her father continue to take his lashings. She struggled in Wonwoo’s strong grasp, but the man knew as much as it pained him, he had to hold her back. The ruthless knights wouldn’t hesitate to string up Minji and whip her too if she interfered. Minji continued clawing at Wonwoo’s arms to try and break free, leaving cuts in her wake._

“Three.”

_“Please stop!” Minji wailed as tears streaked down her cheeks at the sight of blood pouring from her father’s back._

“Four.” Wonwoo’s cries of anguish grew with each strike that fell upon his back.

_As the last of the thirty lashes was brought upon her father’s back, she saw a single tear escape from his eyes, even if no noise had left his mouth. He made eye contact with his daughter for the last time before a hood was thrown over his head and he was mercilessly led to the gallows._

“Five.” Minji heard a ringing in her ears as her body starts moving on its own accord. Next thing Minji knows she is ripping her dagger from its sheath in her pocket as she breaks through the crowd headed straight towards where Wonwoo is being whipped.

“Minji!” SuA lets out an anxious whisper as she desperately tries to grab onto Minji before she makes a decision that will likely have deadly consequences.

Minji breaks through the front of the crowd and heads for the member of the guard holding the whip. Though she had little real life combat experience, her slash contacts the guard’s leg and leaves a long cut across its victim. Startled by her own move, Minji freezes up and slowly looks up into the guard’s now furious eyes.

“What the hell?!? You bitch. You sliced my calf wide open!” The inflicted guard screamed and dropped the whip as she bent down to try and stop the bleeding from her leg.

“Dami, please. That is merely a surface wound, you’ll be fine. Always so dramatic. She clearly just wanted to get our attention.” Siyeon chuckled as she draws her weapon upon Minji. Minji’s dagger paled in comparison to the sword Siyeon held, but she had come too far to turn back now. “Or she doesn’t know how to fight,” Siyeon said smugly at Minji’s awkward grip on the dagger. Minji hastily takes a swing at Siyeon’s chest, but instead she feels the butt of the captain’s sword slam against the side of her face. She briefly hears SuA screaming her name before her head hits the cobblestone and her world fades to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for another short chapter...these first few chapters are really just being used to set up the premise, so the posts should start to be longer soon! 
> 
> The next chapter will be up by the end of the week and feel free to leave any thoughts/questions down below :)


	3. Chapter 3

Princess Yoohyeon was sat at her vanity brushing her hair as she was lazily getting ready to start her day. Usually Yoohyeon’s servant, or personal babysitter as Yoohyeon internally referred to her as, would take of care of the princess’s hair in the morning, but Yoohyeon had insisted Handong take the morning off. 

“Handong!” Yoohyeon yelled out irritably. 

“Yes, Miss Yoohyeon,” the servant girl peered into Yoohyeon’s room from the hallway, “What can I do for you, Princess?”

“When I said you were relieved of your duties until this afternoon, I didn’t mean that you should guard my door all morning.” Yoohyeon rolled her eyes. She was already nineteen, practically old enough to be Queen of the kingdom, so she didn’t want or need someone to follow her every step around the castle. Sure, having someone hold the door open for you, help you get dressed, and essentially cater to your every whim could be nice, but Yoohyeon understood that her father only gave her a personal servant because he didn’t trust her to not stir up trouble around the castle. Hell, her little sister Gahyeon didn’t even have a personal servant, and she was actually a child.

“Miss, you know I am ordered, by the King mind you, to not leave your side unless you have retired to bed for the evening.” Handong mumbled apologetically. She wrung her hands worryingly, well aware that the Princess was very short tempered. Deep down, Yoohyeon was a good person at heart, but she spent her whole childhood being spoiled by everyone from her father to the castle’s guards and that had turned Yoohyeon into a bratty young woman.

“I don’t care what he ordered of you! You’re my personal servant, right?”

“Yes, Princess.” 

“Then I am kindly ordering you to leave me alone, please,” the Princess eyed her servant from her mirror, “Just give me an hour of privacy and then you can come back and follow me like a little lapdog again.” Yoohyeon had tried to be nice, truly, but something about being watched constantly just made her go fucking crazy.

“O-okay, Miss. I will be back at your bedroom in an hour. But I am expecting you to still be here when I return…please” Handong took one last look at Yoohyeon before she awkwardly turned away and disappeared down the long corridor and out of Princess Yoohyeon’s wing of the castle.

“Thank God.” Yoohyeon finished combing through her long silver hair and placed the brush down on her desk next to her favorite necklace. Yoohyeon picked up the locket and subconsciously rubbed her finger over the rough carving of the little Y on the outside of the piece of jewelry. The Princess’s lips curved into a small, almost sad smile, as she placed the locket around her neck as she did so every morning. 

Yoohyeon stood up and made her way over to her window. It looked so beautiful outside, the Princess noted. She wanted nothing more than to freely walk outside those gates and mingle with the townspeople, even for one day. Yoohyeon can’t even remember the last time she left the castle grounds, all she knows was that she hasn’t been allowed out since her mother had passed. The Princess felt a single tear roll down her left cheek as she once again played with the locket around her neck, her mother’s last gift to her elder daughter.

Though it’s hard for the woman to admit to herself, she almost wishes that her father had died from the plague instead of her mother. Yoohyeon and her father were close, sure, but her mother was her world. The woman was kind, loving, and would always take Yoohyeon on walks around the castle garden and even the village so she could play with some of the other children in the kingdom. Yoohyeon’s father had always thought that a Princess had no purpose interacting with the public, so her and Gahyeon had very little interaction with those their own age. The closest thing to a friend Yoohyeon had ever had was her previous servant, but that had ended when the King had barged into her room one night to the find the two women in bed together, naked. Yoohyeon lets out a soft chuckle at the memory; it definitely wasn’t her proudest moment. Her father had looked pissed, and after the servant girl, Irene, had been escorted out of her room, Yoohyeon never saw her again. Not that Yoohyeon was surprised, her father had never let any men from neighboring kingdoms come and try to court her, so she didn’t think her father could handle seeing Yoohyeon in bed with anyone, let alone a woman. The Princess had just assumed the girl had been moved to a different wing or possibly even kicked out of the castle entirely. However, the King had actually had Irene executed the following week for “threatening his daughter’s life.” Shortly after the bedroom incident, Handong was assigned to watch over the Princess, and her father appeared to have made a good choice. The woman was demure and seemed to take the role seriously, always addressing Yoohyeon as “Princess” or “Miss” and deflecting Yoohyeon’s early attempts to befriend the woman. Now, Yoohyeon had accepted Handong wanted nothing to do with her, so Yoohyeon made sure to give Handong lots of trouble in hopes that she would leave so Yoohyeon could get a new, hopefully more fun, servant.

“Hey, Yooh.” Yoohyeon jumped slightly as a voice shattered her from her thoughts. The Princess would have been bothered by the disturbance, but from the nickname Yoohyeon knew it was Gahyeon at her door. 

“Hello, gorgeous.” Yoohyeon smiled lovingly at her younger sister. “What’s up?”

“Not much. Just bored like usual.” Gahyeon let out with a huff as she collapsed onto Yoohyeon’s king size bed. “Your sheets smell nice.” Gahyeon mumbled as she rolled over to push her nose into the bed.

“Whatever, weirdo.” Yoohyeon walked over and ruffled her sister’s pink hair. “Hey, I have an idea to cure your boredom!” 

“Really, what’s that?” The younger girl looked up at Yoohyeon excitedly.

Unlike Yoohyeon, Gahyeon had never left the castle’s walls since she was just an infant when their mother passed, and Yoohyeon thinks it has left her sister with little to no sense of adventure. However, Yoohyeon was determined to change that today.

“Want to go to the southeast wing with me?” Yoohyeon grabbed her sister’s hand and raised her eyebrows mischievously.

“The southeast wing…you mean the dungeon?” Gahyeon gasped as if Yoohyeon had suggested something as insane as going to murder a puppy. “Yooh, you know we are forbidden from going down that corridor!”

“Pleaseee, Gahyeon. It’ll be fun, I promise! And I managed to shake off my bodyguard so daddy won’t even have to know.” The elder Princess whined at her little sister. “And if we do get caught, I’ll say I made you come with me.”

Gahyeon chewed her lower lip and rocked back and forth on her heels, which was something she only did when she was nervous. “Okay, fine.” 

“Thank you!” Yoohyeon leaned down to kiss the shorter girl on the cheek before quickly yanking her out into the hallway before Gahyeon had a chance to change her mind.

“Why do you even want to go down there, Yooh? Daddy says that the people there are dangerous, like dangerous dangerous. You know murders, and thieves… and even people that have tried to break into the castle!” 

“Don’t listen to everything daddy says. He needs to stop treating us like babies. Besides, even if they are dangerous, isn’t that exciting? Come on, they’ll all be locked up in cells anyway, so they can’t hurt us. Plus, the prison guards would recognize us immediately, so it’s not like we can even get that close to them. I just want to take a quick peek.” Yoohyeon continued to pull Gahyeon towards the southeast wing.

As the two Princesses got closer, Yoohyeon looked over her shoulder and put her finger over her lips, indicating that Gahyeon needed to be quiet now. Yoohyeon guided Gahyeon over to some rosebushes that were about twenty feet away from the prison doors. Close to the cells, but not too close that they’d be spotted.

“Yooh, we can’t even see anything.” Gahyeon tried peering over the bushes, but it was no use, there were no windows into the dungeon and instead only heavy, steel doors held together by a large beam.

“Damn,” Yoohyeon mumbled. “I would have thought we’d be able to at least see into one or two cells.”

“Come on, sis, let’s just go back. I don’t want to –“

“What do you mean there was an incident at the execution? That lowlife is dead, right?” Yoohyeon instantly threw her hand over Gahyeon’s mouth as they heard a familiar voice bellowing from around the corner. 

“Of course, sir, Wonwoo has been taken care of. As for the young woman, she is being brought here by guards as we –“

“You mean someone interfered with an execution and wasn’t killed on site?”

“Your highness, we thought you might want to see this one for yourself…” Yoohyeon watched as the clearly nervous guard tried to justify his actions to her father.

The intense conversation between the King and the guard was interrupted as screams could be heard coming closer to where the King stood at the dungeon’s doors.

“Let me go,” came a cry with such conviction that even Yoohyeon was stunned. Yoohyeon peaked over the rosebushes again to see a woman being forcibly carried through the corridor by two royal guards, one of whom was bleeding slightly, towards the King.

“Bring her over here.” The King commanded as he glared at the young woman brought before him. The woman, whoever she was, was beautiful, Yoohyeon couldn’t help but notice. She had dark locks that were tied into a loose braid that cascaded down her back. Even from this far away Yoohyeon noticed the prisoner’s striking eyes, which glared ferociously right back at her father. However, the girl had on these absolutely hideous pants…Yoohyeon was curious why she wasn’t wearing a gown like her and all the other women Yoohyeon had seen in the castle, aside from the females that served as members of the guard that is.

“What are they saying?” Gahyeon whispered over her sister’s shoulder. Yoohyeon squinted, as if that would help her be able to hear any better. 

“I don’t know…” Yoohyeon whispered back.

“Whatever she did must have been bad, father looks pissed,” Gahyeon shuddered at seeing their father act so aggressive towards the young girl. Sure, he could be stern with Gahyeon, but the younger Princess had never witnessed the man appear so angry or threatening before.

“Yeah…” Yoohyeon mumbled as she continued to gaze at the girl’s face. 

“Lock her away!” The King suddenly ordered loudly. Whatever they were talking about he was clearly through with the conversation. As the King turned away from his captive Yoohyeon noticed the pleased smirk on his face. Yoohyeon scrunched her eyebrows in confusion at his reaction…why would her father be happy about disobedience from someone in the kingdom? Yoohyeon didn’t know who this beautiful, yet seemingly dangerous, woman was, but one thing was for certain, and that was Yoohyeon was determined to get to know her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feel free to leave any comments below :)


	4. Chapter 4

Minji came too shortly after she lost consciousness. Two women, the same guards from Wonwoo’s execution, were currently carrying Minji in their arms. Before Minji even thought about trying to find a way to escape from wherever it was these two were bringing her too, her thoughts had trailed back to Wonwoo…Was he okay? Odds are he wasn’t even still alive, but Minji hoped that her sudden attack had derailed the rest of the demonstration.

To be entirely honest, Minji wasn’t too sure what her goal had been by going to attack the guard whipping Wonwoo. She had been so blinded by the drudged up memories of her own father’s whipping to be able to think clearly.   
“Damn it,” Minji tried quietly muttering under her breath, disappointed in her impulsivity.

“Oh, looks like the little warrior is awake!” Minji snapped her head to glare at the guard that was mocking her, the same one that had whacked Minji in the head with her sword only a few moments ago. “What do you think, Dami? Is she good enough to walk?”

“I think if she’s strong enough to start a fight she can definitely walk herself the last half mile back to the castle,” Dami declared. And after the two guards shared a smug look with one another, Minji felt herself being slowly placed down. However, before she even had the time to get her bearings, she was propelled forward and onto the ground by a foot colliding painfully with her back. It wasn’t until she had tried to catch her fall that Minji realized her hands were tied behind her back with a thick rope. Seeing as she couldn’t use her hands to catch herself, next thing Minji knows she is lying face down in the dirt. With a heavy groan, Minji slowly rolled herself over onto her side and now felt not only a throbbing pain in her head, but also a throbbing in her right shoulder.

“Come on, bitch, stand up. It’s not polite to keep the King waiting.” Siyeon commanded of the woman slowly making her way back to her feet. 

Noticing her feet hadn’t been restricted in any way, Minji tried to assess the surrounding area to see if an escape was feasible. There was no way she would willingly go with these two to the King; that was like walking to your own death.

“I said get up.” Siyeon reached down and grabbed Minji’s right forearm and yanked her up, hard. 

“AH” Minji let out an involuntary cry at the pain that shot through her shoulder. 

“Did I hurt you? Good. You wounded one of my best soldiers here,” Siyeon barked out into Minji’s ear as she released her grip on Minji’s arm only to wrap a hand in her hair, yanking Minji backwards to face Siyeon. Dami, mercifully, held onto Minji’s arm to help steady her, as the sudden yank almost led to Minji tumbling over again. 

“Come on, Siyeon, let’s just get moving…” Dami glanced at the older guard and saw the irritation in her eyes as she glared at the slightly taller prisoner. Minji held Siyeon’s gaze, and even wore a ferocious scowl on her face aimed back at the guard.

Suddenly, Minji made a move to get out of the guards’ grips. She used a technique her father had once taught her to break out of a captive situation, and to Minji’s surprise it worked, sort of. The woman had managed to shake Dami’s hold on her arm, but Siyeon’s grip in Minji’s hair held tight. Minji let out a tiny whimper before mustering up the courage to shout at Siyeon. “Let me go, you bitch!” Minji bit out at the guard. 

“Look kid,” Siyeon rolled her eyes at the woman’s pathetic attempt to escape, “Why don’t we just do this the easy way; makes it better for all of us, yeah?”

“Never.”

“Okay, sweet cheeks, have it your way then.” And with that Siyeon linked arms with Minji, motioned for Dami to do the same, and the two guards started dragging Minji towards the dungeon.

\--- --- --- ---

Though Minji fought the entire way, she could clearly see the castle and the man she hated most just ahead of her. “Let me go!” Minji roared one last time to let the King know she wasn’t planning on being a submissive little prisoner. She planned on making his life hell, but how she was going to do that, that was the question.

“Bring her over here.” Minji heard the King command of the guards carrying her. Minji felt a hand guiding her back as she was brought face to face with the King. “So, why is it that you chose to bring this girl here, rather than just dealing with her on site?” The King asked of the guard stood next to him; a young man Minji had never seen roaming the streets before. He must be new, Minji thought. The poor boy looked like he was the one on trial instead of Minji. 

“Well, sir, I’m sure you remember the Kim’s? You know, the ones who were executed for starting the revolution that apparently that man Wonwoo had continued.” The boy spoke lowly, as if he was afraid of setting the King off.

“Of course. Those two were dealt with, so why are we bringing them back up now?”

“Well, your majesty, this here is Kim Minji, the daughter of those two traitors.” Siyeon stated proudly with a small smirk on her face. Minji had intentionally kept a low profile after her parents had been murdered by the King. She even evacuated her own home and moved in with SuA. No one but SuA had called Minji by her surname since her parents passed. Minji had tried to stay hidden because she didn’t want to be seen by the King, well, she didn’t want to be seen by the King until she had a knife held against his throat ready to end the man’s life. That’s when Minji remembered how SuA had called out Minji’s name, her full name, as she had fallen to the ground after her battle, if one could even call if that, with Siyeon.

“You don’t say?” The King smiled slyly as he walked towards the woman and placed a hand under her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. Minji scowled back at him, conjuring up all of her pent-up anger towards the man. He leaned closer to Minji, and spoke in a low voice, “I’ve been waiting to meet you, Miss Minji. You’re very beautiful. Even more gorgeous than I remember your mother being. I wish I could’ve kept her alive longer, but alas, she needed to be made an example of with your father. The two of us could have had so much fun together. Did you know I only got to keep her for two nights before the execution?” The King divulged with an evil glimmer in his eyes. 

“You motherfu –“

“Now, now. Is that any way to talk to your King, young lady?” The King lightly scratched the underside of Minji’s chin, almost like one would greet a stray dog they see wandering the city streets.

Minji instinctively jerked her head back, and it took everything in her to hold back from screaming a slew of names at the despicable man. “I hate you,” Minji chose to utter instead.

“Oh, I’m sure you do, darling…” The King just smirked back at the woman. He relished at his luck with capturing the last of the Kim family, and on the same day that he took out the head of the revolution no less! Now the only question was what would he do with her. Death? That would be too easy, thought the King. No, Miss Kim Minji needed to suffer, the King just wasn’t sure how yet…

“Lock her away!” The King said, and with that command, he turned his back on Minji and left with the male guard that had been accompanying him. 

“You heard him,” Siyeon murmured softly, to a fuming Minji. “It’s to the dungeon with you.” Siyeon gently led their prisoner to the heavy doors that kept all the prisoners invisible from the rest of the castle. “Dami, feel free to head back to the square to help the other guards with clean up.” 

“Yes, Siyeon.” Minji watched Dami march back in the direction the three of them just came from. There was still some dried blood on the back of Dami’s leg, and Minji felt some satisfaction, if only momentarily, at the pain she had caused someone so close to the King’s center of command.

Siyeon nodded at the guard in charge of watching the entryway to the dungeon, and the man proceeded to unlock the doors. “Where will you be placing her?” The man asked as he pulled out a scroll for what Minji assumed was an “inventory” of sorts on who was currently imprisoned.

“Is cell one open? I have a feeling this one’s going to be here a while, so might as well put her in one that’s fully functional.” Siyeon glanced at the woman she had in her grasp. Though she had been trained to ignore the King’s conversations and look the other way whenever the King engaged in…questionable behavior with the prisoners, she did feel like the King took his exchange with Minji a bit too far. Siyeon had lost her own parents, granted in a very different way than this prisoner had, but Siyeon knows she would be livid if anyone ever spat on her parents’ graves the way the King just did to the Kim’s. Granted, the Kim’s were traitors to the royal crown, but Siyeon couldn’t help but feel a little bit of sympathy for the young girl.

“Yep, cell one hasn’t been used in quite some time.”

“Perfect, thanks.” Siyeon and Minji walked down the long, dark hallway all the way to the end of the corridor. Minji glanced around at where she would be being kept. Most of the cells that lined the walls they had passed were empty, which Minji could have guessed as much since the King loved to kill most of those he had arrested. She did see two other prisoners though. The first was a young man that they had passed earlier in the long rows of cells, likely in his mid to late twenties. He couldn’t have been here long as he was clean and still appeared to be well-fed. However, in the cell across from where Siyeon had indicated Minji would be staying was an older gentleman, probably in his fourties. He was asleep, and Minji was grateful for that because she couldn’t help but stare. Minji had seen plenty of people in poor condition outside of the castle’s walls, but this man was little more than a fleshly corpse. The man was topless, so Minji could see each of his ribs poking out of his chest, his hair was long and matted, and there was dirt and grime covering his remaining clothes and skin.

“Is he okay?” Minji whispered as she pointed to the man lying in what appeared to be his own urine in the corner of the cell.

“I don’t know, and I don’t care.” The guard looked at Minji, who was in turn staring sadly at the sickly prisoner. Siyeon sighed. “I can send someone out to check on him, one of our healers. Would that make you feel better?” Siyeon asked sarcastically.

“Yes, it would,” Minji stated seriously.

Siyeon narrowed her eyes curiously at the young woman. Why would she care about this man? She didn’t even know him… “Alright, well let’s get you in the cell. The quicker you go in the sooner I can have him checked on. So why don’t we choose to take the easy route this time?”

“Sure,” Minji sighed, resigned to her fate, at least for now. Siyeon raised a brow at the change in the woman’s demeanor, but nonetheless unlocked the cell’s door and gently pushed Minji in. 

“I’m going to untie your hands, but first I have to cuff your ankle to the floor. You’ll have the ability to move around most of the cell, but you’ll notice that you can’t quite reach the door, so don’t waste too much energy trying to escape,” Siyeon laughed as she finished restraining Minji and reached for her pocket knife to cut through the rope. Minji let out a sigh of relief and rolled her shoulders and wrists out to try and ease the tension in her sore muscles.

“As you can see you have a bed, of sorts, a blanket, and that bucket in the corner. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that we won’t be letting you out to go to bathroom, so I suggest you take care of your business in that bucket instead of in your trousers like that man over there.” Siyeon jabbed her thumb towards the unconscious man across from them, as she took her hand and lightly tugged at the waistband of Minji’s pants. “Interesting choice in clothing by the way…most women choose a more feminine look. Hell, even I wouldn’t be caught dead in something like these off duty,” Siyeon joked, trying to lighten the mood, which was probably a moot point considering the situation they were in. Minji just huffed in response to Siyeon.

“…Okay, well, I better be headed off. You might as well try to get comfy. Someone will be by later to give you food, well, probably. And if no one comes tonight I’m sure someone will tomorrow.” Siyeon waved her hand dismissively. “Anyways, it’s been a pleasure.” Siyeon gave Minji a mock salute before leaving the woman alone in her cell.

Minji took a better look at her new room, and Siyeon’s use of the word bed to describe the place Minji was supposed sleep was definitely an exaggeration. Minji closed her eyes and counted to ten, a trick her mother had taught her to use when she needed to get her emotions under control. After taking some time to breathe, Minji sat down on the thin mat and curled up in a ball with the shabby blanket covering her. 

The young woman wasn’t quite certain what her future held, but she knew she had a long night ahead of her, so Minji closed her eyes and tried to force herself to get some much needed sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :) The next chapter should be up by Thursday at the latest.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, before you read this please go stream BOCA for our girls :)

“Gahyeon, slow down!” Yoohyeon scolded her sister as the younger girl practically sprinted back towards their side of the castle. “Stop making us look suspicious,” the older Princess huffed out at the frazzled girl in front of her.

Gahyeon suddenly stopped dead in her tracks and turned around to look at her sister. “What was that back there?” Gahyeon asked of the other Princess, as if Yoohyeon had any clue what she had just witnessed.

“I’m not sure sis, but can’t we talk about it once we get back to my room? That servant is probably outside my bedroom looking for me right now,” Yoohyeon muttered as she rolled her eyes. Normally, Yoohyeon wouldn’t be bothered about disobeying orders from a servant, and her own servant at that, but she didn’t want anyone finding out her and Gahyeon had been by the dungeon because that would make it harder for Yoohyeon to go back so she could see the girl again.

“Okay, but why was daddy so mad?” Gahyeon looked sad, “And why did he grab the girl like that? He looked so…” The young girl trailed off as she tried to find the right word to describe the scene.

“Evil?” Yoohyeon supplied jokingly, letting out a little laugh.

“Yeah, kinda. But our father would never hurt anyone, he loves our people!” Gahyeon exclaimed as she awkwardly picked at the sleeves of her dress.

“I mean, sure, but he’s still the King, so he needs to seem intimidating to remain in power, right? If he was too soft, or too kind, people might not respect him, which could lead to a revolt. Plus, that girl must have been arrested for doing something wrong, so I’m sure he was just trying to reestablish his authority.” Yoohyeon couldn’t blame her sister for still having that “gentle giant” view of their father. The King had always babied Gahyeon, and he could, since she was the perfect little princess. She had always followed their father’s orders, unlike Yoohyeon, so he had had no reason to ever be tough on her. Ever since Yoohyeon started trying to find her own path in life, her father had grown considerably colder towards her, not that she was all that surprised. He would still spoil the hell out of Yoohyeon, but she hadn’t received a warm hug or even a kind smile from her father in quite some time. Yet, she still believed that he truly loved and cared for both her and Gahyeon, just as much as the townspeople he would risk anything for to protect. Sure, she had noticed how many of the castle’s servants would quake in fear in her father’s, and sometimes even her own, presence, but she thought that just came with their royalty titles. Yoohyeon internally laughed, was she really that scary? Not that she minded, after all, she was next in line for the throne and planned to rule in a loving, but very stern manner, just like her own father had been with her.

“…I guess that makes sense,” Gahyeon muttered, clearly still somewhat disturbed about what the two of them had just witnessed.

“Yeah, now come on.” Yoohyeon took Gahyeon’s hand and led the girl back towards her bedroom where they could talk with more privacy.

“Hello, Handong!” Gahyeon called cheerily towards the servant girl who was stood dutifully outside of Yoohyeon’s bedroom door. She certainly didn’t want to let on that her and Yoohyeon had been snooping around forbidden parts of the castle.

“Princess Gahyeon,” Handong greeted back as she bowed at the two women. “Miss Yoohyeon, how was your break?”

“Fine, thanks. Gahyeon and I will be in my room, feel free to wait out here,” Yoohyeon instructed as she guided her sister into her room and quietly shut the door behind them.

The two women sat down on Yoohyeon’s bed as the elder Princess ran her fingers through her hair and exhaled heavily.

“I wonder who that woman was…” Yoohyeon let out breathily.

“Why do you care?” Gahyeon asked in shock. “She was clearly very angry at father and she seemed dangerous! Didn’t you notice how the guard carrying her was bleeding? What if that woman did that?”

Yoohyeon just shrugged indifferently. “I’m not sure, but I am curious. She seemed…intriguing.”

“Alright, well just promise me you’ll be careful! You know it was risky to go visit the dungeon once, and I don’t think it’s a good idea to go back…”

“Yeah, I know. I’ll be careful, I promise.” Yoohyeon smiled, holding out her pinkie to the younger girl. Gahyeon smiled back shyly and interlocked her finger with Yoohyeon’s. Both girls leaned in and kissed their thumbs; a tradition the two girls had had together since they were little. Yoohyeon smirked back at Gahyeon, and eventually both girls burst into a fit of giggles, all awkwardness from the earlier scene they witnessed forgotten.

“Well I better get going, Yooh. One of the guards promised they would accompany me on a walk around the flower gardens this afternoon. I’ve been dying to get outside.” Gahyeon said as she blushed lightly. Though the Princesses had free reign of most of the castle, they were not to head outside without being accompanied by a guard, for “safety reasons,” as their father put it.

Noticing the way Gahyeon had started to blush, she ruffled the younger girl’s hair and said, “Oh, yeah? Which guard is accompanying you?”

“Sis, it’s no big –“

“Wait, don’t say it. What’s his name? Jungsoo?”

“It’s Jungwoo…” Gahyeon mumbled embarrassed.

“Right, Jungwoo. Just remember if that boy lays a hand on you, I’ll kill him. And isn’t he a bit old for you anyways, kiddo?” Yoohyeon smiled down at her sister, only half joking about the murder part.

“No, he’s just sixteen. Only a year ahead of me. Besides, we’re just friends anyway. You know daddy doesn’t think I’m old enough to date. And he’s right, I’m not!” Gahyeon exclaimed. “I don’t know the first thing about boys, or dating.” 

Yoohyeon smiled affectionately at her sister. She truly was the perfect little princess, wasn’t she? “Don’t worry, Gahyeon, you’re still young. You’ll have plenty of time to find Prince Charming,” Yoohyeon sing-songed mockingly at the other girl.

“But you’re already nineteen and still haven’t fallen in love! You’re just as inexperienced as me,” Gahyeon teased back at her older sister, even sticking her tongue out childishly. 

Yoohyeon just laughed back at her sister, shaking her head lightly. She didn’t bother correcting the younger girl. While it was true Yoohyeon had never experienced being in love, she had had her fair share of “experiences.” There was obviously Irene, who she had slept with many times and had cared about, but more so in a friendly way. But she had also had the opportunity to flirt, and occasionally make out, with some of the younger, male guards around the castle. She had even once had sex with one of the guards, Yuta. However, Yoohyeon hadn’t seen him in a while…she wondered if he still had a rotation as prison guard. Yoohyeon smirked as she realized she might have the perfect way to meet that beautiful prisoner. Now Yoohyeon just had to hope she could ditch Handong for long enough to meet up with him. 

“You’re right Gahyeon, but like I said, we’re still young. Besides, it’s only a matter of time until daddy tries to set me up with some Prince from a surrounding kingdom. He can’t die without his eldest daughter having someone to rule by her side,” Yoohyeon laughed humorlessly. While Yoohyeon wasn’t in any way opposed to love or marriage, she didn’t think she could find happiness with some random Prince that offered her father an opportunity to strengthen the power of their kingdom. Nevertheless, whenever that time came, Yoohyeon had already promised herself she would try to make the best of it, and worst case scenario she just hired a cute servant who was willing to take care of her sexual needs. “Anyways, Jungwoo…be safe kiddo! You’re too cute for your own good and I just don’t want you getting hurt.” Yoohyeon winked at Gahyeon as she walked the other girl out of her room.

“I won’t,” Gahyeon laughed. “I love you,” the younger Princess called over her shoulder as she hurried down the hallway.

“Love you too, dork!” Yoohyeon shouted back.

\--- --- --- ---

Meanwhile, back at the town square Wonwoo’s execution had been completed and people had slowly started to disperse back to their homes and lives.

SuA was sat in the spot she had been when she saw Minji being knocked unconscious by that guard, Siyeon. “Why is she so fucking stupid?” The woman muttered to herself as she hugged her legs to her chest trying to fight back the tears that were threatening to fall. 

All around her, SuA heard murmurs and gossip about Minji, and because SuA accidently called out her full name, many people had quickly recognized the girl as the Kim’s daughter. While the Kim’s had been executed a little over three years ago now, they were still remembered fondly by many people in the kingdom. Though Minji’s parents started the movement to try and hopefully throw over the King, the rebellion had been but a small rumor before the King sentenced them to their deaths. However, the brutal and merciless display by the royal guard against the Kim’s led to rapid growth of the movement. They had been close, so close, SuA thought, to being able to finally plan an attack on the King. However, with Wonwoo now dead and Minji likely being executed soon for her attack on the guard, the rebellion was essentially back to square one.

“Hey, SuA, are you alright?” SuA looked up at the owner of the soft voice that had just placed their hand on her shoulder. It was Wheein. She smiled hesitantly at SuA, which just led to SuA finally breaking down. She let a loud sob escape before she took her hand to try and cover her mouth. “Hey, shhh…” Wheein murmured softly as she squatted down next to SuA.

“I – why are you the one consoling me right now? Are you okay Wheein?”

“I’ve been better…but what’s done is done.” She said softly. “However, we can still try and take action before anything bad happens to Minji.”

“How? They’ve already arrested her?” SuA mumbled. “Plus, we lost our leader and the blueprints for the castle…” “Actually, Wonwoo created a duplicate of the blueprint. The guards didn’t even think to continue their search after they found the first set, which I found strange, but I guess we should be grateful,” Wheein smiled sadly. “We definitely have the support, especially after today. We just need a concrete plan, and someone to lead it…”

“Yeah, well, where are we going to find someone as competent as Wonwoo was, or as passionate as Minji is?” “You, SuA. You should lead the attack,” Wheein murmured softly.

“Me?” SuA whisper yelled, they were still in public after all, so she didn’t want to draw too much attention to the pair of them, especially considering their relations to the talks of the town today.

“Yes. You’re more than capable. You’ve been by Minji’s side these past three years, and she’s been right by Wonwoo’s. Plus, you have the fighting experience.” It was true. SuA’s father had once been part of the royal guard, back when the Queen was still alive, and he had spent a lot of time training with SuA in combat.

“You know I can’t do that! Minji was my rock, and without her…” “That’s exactly why you must lead us SuA. We can maybe get her back if we rally the people soon, and I know that’s something you want. We both do.” Wheein grabbed SuA’s hand and looked into her eyes pleadingly. “Please, don’t let Wonwoo’s death be in vain. We can still finish what he and Minji’s parents started.”

“O-okay. Where do we begin?” SuA relented, knowing that this was her only chance to possibly free her best friend from the King’s reign of terror. She needed to see Minji again, and she didn’t want it to be when she was being strung up for execution, but rather when SuA could freely hold Minji in her arms. As scary as it might seem, SuA was willing to try anything to get Minji home safely, even if it meant leading a freaking rebellion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think writing Yoohyeon/Gahyeon interactions has been my favorite thing about this story so far :)  
> Feel free to drop any thoughts/questions in the comment section!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y’all, my dystopia:lose myself album finally came. It’s my first dreamcatcher album! I even pulled my bias (yoohyeon) twice in the photocards, so I decided to celebrate by uploading this chapter before heading to bed :)

Minji awoke the following morning to a soft cry coming from the cell across from her. Like Siyeon had sort of implied, no one came by to give her or the two men in the dungeon with her any food or water last night. Minji’s stomach groaned at the thought. However, like Siyeon promised, a healer did come to check on the man. The healer came shortly after Siyeon left Minji, but all he really did was smack the man into consciousness and then tell Minji he was fine…Minji definitely wouldn’t describe the man currently weeping fine, but she didn’t fight the healer and had just nodded her head and mumbled quiet thanks before he retreated out of the dimly lit dungeon.

“Hey, are you okay?” Minji called over to the man softly. She slowly got up and started to walk towards the edge of her cell. However, the chain on her ankle stopped her short. Minji looked down at her bare feet and flexed her toes. God, she would have given anything for a nice bath right about now. Why had the guard taken her shoes? Thankfully, that was the only article of clothing confiscated from her. She looked back over at the man, who was much more awake than he had been all of yesterday.

“Who are you?” The older man eyed her cautiously. His voice was ragged, as if he hadn’t had anything to drink in days, Minji noticed.

“My name is Minji. I was brought here yesterday.” She smiled at him softly. “What’s your name?” 

“Jimin,” the man whispered. “It’s nice to meet you, Miss.” He let out a dry cough and brought his fist to hit against his chest a few times. “What brings you here?”

“I uh…” Minji hesitated, not sure she wanted to divulge any details.

The man must have noticed her reservations, and he cut her off. “I’ll tell you why I’m here.” The other prisoner eyed her warily. “They have me here for murder – murdering my own son.” 

Minji gasped as she brought her hand up to cover her mouth. Even though the man couldn’t reach her, she instinctively took a few steps backwards, until she felt her back collide with the cement wall behind her. Minji slowly slid down the wall until she was sat down, and as far away from the other prisoner as possible.

Jimin let out a sarcastic laugh. “I figured you’d have that reaction…” He slowly stood up and walked to the front of the cell, where he wrapped his bony fingers around the bars as he continued to study Minji. Why the hell isn’t he chained down, Minji thought as she tried to control her breathing. Jimin dropped his arms from the bars and ran them through his hair. “The charges aren’t true by the way, at least not really…” He sighed softly as he slowly dropped to his knees and leaned his head on the bars. “My son did die, but I didn’t kill him, or at least I didn’t try to. I – the guards took all my cattle so I didn’t have any way to trade to get food for him. He was still so young…so he died of malnourishment. And then those guards came back and chained me up. I’ve been here ever since.” Minji saw a lone tear roll down his cheek.

An awkward silence filled the room while Minji tried to decide what to say. “I’m sorry for your loss…How long have you been here?” She looked at the man, slowly crawling a little closer to him, as she no longer feared him, but instead pitied him.

“Not sure, what day is it?”

“The third of June,” Minji said slowly.

“Then almost six months, I guess,” Jimin looked up at the ceiling longingly. “I would say it’s felt longer, but that’s not necessarily true. There’s always company, so I’m never lonely, even if they’re only here for a day or two. I never bother to remember names or stories, since they’re always taken away, probably to be killed, before I really start to know them.” The man chuckled lowly, “In fact, don’t even bother telling me your story, since I’m sure you’ll be gone when I wake up next morning.” Minji crinkled her brow. She wondered if this man had met Wonwoo…not that it really mattered since he was likely dead, and she would probably be too in a few days, or even hours. 

“What about your wife, the boy’s mother?” Minji asked before she could stop herself.

“Oh, she died a few winters ago. I had no one, but me and my boy, so I don’t really mind being here. I’m not too sure why they haven’t killed me though…” He trailed off slowly. “In fact, the longest anyone else has ever stayed here has been three nights, and it’s that man over there.” Jimin jabbed his finger to point at the other man Minji had seen on her way in; he was currently sleeping. Minji noticed that unlike her and Jimin he didn’t have any sort bed, just a cell with a lone bucket in the corner. She let out a soft sigh after she realized that that surely meant this man would be removed from the dungeon any day now.

“If they are just going to kill me, then why would they put me in this cell?” Minji asked, although she was more so just thinking aloud rather than directing the question to Jimin, as there was no way he would know either.

“Not sure, Miss, maybe one day you’ll find out. I know I’m still waiting for answers too.”

Minji’s stomach growled again, which caused the young woman to blush furiously. “Sorry, I’m just hungry I guess.”

“Yeah they usually bring food in once a day or so…maybe once every other day. Hey, I wasn’t fed yesterday, which means they’ll probably bring us stuff today!” The man said brightly, trying to cheer the other woman up.

Coincidentally, Minji heard the doors to the dungeon open just as Jimin finished speaking. She peered towards the end of the long corridor and could just make out a young woman walking in. She had to of been no older than Minji, probably in her mid to late teens. Minji noticed the tight band, almost like a collar, around her neck, which indicated she was one of the castle’s servants. The hungry prisoner also noticed that the woman was carrying a tray with three plates on it.

“Thank God,” Minji muttered under her breath as she stood up and made her way towards her cell’s door. The servant girl wordlessly dropped a plate and glass of what Minji assumed was water outside of each of their cells. However, she paused by Minji when she noticed the woman was chained in a way where she wouldn’t quite be able to reach her food. The girl glanced from the food in her hand back to Minji, looking unsure as to how she was supposed to proceed.

“Feel free to leave her plate there, Shuhua. I’ll handle it.” The prison guard motioned for the servant to leave as he walked down the corridor to face Minji. Shuhua just bowed slightly to the guard before briskly walking out of the dungeon. Minji glanced at Jimin, who was already starting to eat his food through the bars of his cell.

“Stand against the wall,” the guard commanded of Minji as he pulled his keys out of his pocket. Minji obeyed immediately since all she cared about right now was getting some nutrients in her system. The guard picked the plate and glass off the ground and unlocked the door to Minji’s cell. He quickly set the items down within the prisoner’s reach and then locked the cell door back into place.

After the man had returned to his post outside the dungeon’s doors, Minji collapsed in front of her food and instantly took a large swig of water. She also noticed that calling what was put before her food was a bit of an exaggeration. On her plate there was a piece of bread and a bowl that contained some of the grossest looking mixture she had ever seen. Minji wrinkled her nose in disgust. Sure, Minji’s family had never been wealthy, but the girl had never personally struggled to find food. Her diet typically consisted of fresh fruits and vegetables and meat, not whatever this was sitting in front of her.

Jimin noticed Minji’s look, and laughed softly at her. “It’s really not that bad, Miss. Then again, maybe you’re not used to eating what us peasants eat. For all I know you could be some well-off girl that made a silly mistake…I, on the other hand, have gone days without food, even before being imprisoned, and would never turn away a meal.” The man scowled at her.

Minji looked at the man apologetically, but didn’t say anything. She noticed that Jimin had almost finished his plate already, and he was right, she shouldn’t turn down any food in her current situation. Minji hesitantly took the spoon and scooped a small bite into her mouth. Jimin was right, the chunky substance wasn’t bad, very bland, but essentially harmless. 

The two finished their meals in silence, and Minji pushed her empty dishes to the edge of her cell so the servant girl would be able to collect them whenever she came back.

\--- --- --- ---

Yoohyeon was currently headed back towards the dungeons to try and meet the mysterious prisoner. She had asked around and found out that Yuta was on duty outside of the prison for the remainder of the day, and Yoohyeon had decided no time was better than the present. However, she had been unable to evade Handong, so the pesky servant girl was currently following behind Yoohyeon, and asking way too many questions for Yoohyeon’s liking.

“Miss, not to overstep, but may I once again ask where we are headed?” Handong asked apprehensively noticing the two of them had passed all of Yoohyeon’s normal stops around the castle. They were continuing towards the southeast wing, which was off limits to not only the Princess, but also the servant.

“If you must know, I have some business to take of with the dungeon’s prison guard…” Yoohyeon huffed impatiently as she continued marching towards where Yuta was currently still stationed. “Personal business,” Yoohyeon added, hoping it would get the servant to give Yoohyeon some privacy with the man.

“Does that require going to the dungeons, Princess?” Handong muttered, annoyed. “You do remember that neither of us are supposed to be here… I could have sent for the guard to come meet you at your chambers, or in a common space if you would have preferred!” Handong sounded desperate now, trying to do anything she could to convince the Princess to not go to the dungeon. Even though the Princess was cold towards Handong, the servant girl still knew this was likely the best position she would ever be able to hold. She didn’t want to do anything to upset Princess Yoohyeon, but she also didn’t want to be transferred to a lower tiered position, or have something worse happen, because she disobeyed the King’s orders.

“Well I need to meet with him at the dungeon, Handong. And no, I didn’t forget this area is ‘off limits,’ but I simply don’t care.”

“Um. Okay, but –“

“Look, I get that you’re just following the King’s orders,” Yoohyeon stopped walking to slowly turn and make eye contact with her servant, “but I’m an adult and am going to do what I want. Feel free to tag along, or just leave.” With that, Yoohyeon gave one last glance towards Handong before turning and continuing the path towards the prison.

“Alright, Miss,” Handong spoke softly. She quickly followed the Princess, determined to at least make sure the girl remained safe. Yoohyeon looked over her shoulder to see the woman following her, rolling her eyes as she had hoped her little outburst would have deterred Handong from tagging along.

The two finally reached the dungeon and Yoohyeon crouched down by the same rosebushes her and Gahyeon had hid behind the day prior. She lightly tugged at Handong’s sleeve so that the servant girl would do the same. Yoohyeon saw that Yuta was indeed guarding the door to the prisons, and alone at that. The Princess smirked slightly. He was currently leaned up against the door, looking like he could doze off at any moment.

“Alright, I’m going to go talk to Yuta…I suggest you wait here, Handong.” Yoohyeon instructed as she quickly brushed her fingers through her hair before walking towards the young man she hadn’t seen in quite some time.

“Yuta,” Yoohyeon called once she was within a few yards of him. She made sure to wave kindly at the guard, and plastered a flirty smile on her face. Yoohyeon knew she was attractive, and she had never had to try that hard to get any of the guards to fall for her, but she needed to be perfect today for her plan to work.

“Oh…Hi, Princess Yoohyeon!” Yuta said, clearly surprised to see the Princess here. He quickly straightened and bowed towards the young woman. “What brings you here, Princess?”

“Not sure, I was just bored, and thinking of you,” Yoohyeon purred as she began twirling a strand of her hair between her fingers. “It’s been so long since we’ve had any alone time…” The Princess trailed off slowly, hoping Yuta would pick up on what she was insinuating. When the guard just blinked at her, Yoohyeon took one of her hands and placed it on the man’s shoulder. “I was thinking maybe we could…ya know, spend some quality time together.” The Princess bit her lip suggestively as she gave Yuta’s shoulder a slight squeeze. “Maybe we could sneak away, only to the forest just south of your post, and spend a little while together?”

“Princess – I, I’m working…” Yuta’s gaze bounced from Yoohyeon’s eyes down to her lips and back again, clearly interested in what the woman was offering.

“Oh, c’mon, Yuta, no one would even know we were gone. Just ten minutes, please?”

The man internally weighed the pros and cons of sneaking off with the woman. It was true that no one would probably ever know, seeing as no one ever visited the dungeon without a warning first, and the servant girl, Shuhua, had already been by earlier today. There also wasn’t any worry about the prisoners escaping; they were all locked into cells and the dungeon doors locked from the inside too. The guard stationed at the prison was the only one with a set of keys, besides Siyeon, but she was out in the village all day today. The only con was if he was caught, the King would likely fire him from the guard, and he had been working for years to get to where he was now…

“O-okay, ten minutes, Princess.” 

Yoohyeon smiled brightly at the man, and let out a girlish squeal as she took his hand and led him away.

Handong, who had still been hiding dutifully behind the rosebushes, saw Yoohyeon start to lead the young man away from the dungeon’s doors. She saw Yuta glance around warily, and Handong felt herself start to panic. What the hell was the Princess doing? Handong began chewing her nails nervously, debating if she should follow Yoohyeon, or just wait here and hope the Princess would eventually come back. “Fuck,” Handong muttered to herself, running her slender fingers through her hair. The servant finally decided to stay put, at least for the moment, she didn’t want to anger the Princess any more than she already had…

As Yoohyeon and Yuta finally reached the edge of the woods, the young man started to ask the Princess what was on her mind, but Yoohyeon quickly cut him off by bringing his face down to hers and kissing him forcefully. Though Yuta was a bit taken aback by the girl’s aggression, he quickly returned the kiss. The two quickly found their rhythm as they had done this many times before. Yuta had one hand around Yoohyeon’s neck and the other placed on her lower back, dangerously close to her ass. Yoohyeon ran one hand through Yuta’s hair, while the other was placed delicately on his shoulder. Normally, Yoohyeon would be enjoying herself right now, especially since Yuta, other than Irene, was the best kisser Yoohyeon had ever experienced. However, all Yoohyeon could think about was that prisoner, and how desperate she was for this plan to work.

After making out for a little while longer, Yuta pulled back, breathing heavily. “Princess, as great as this has been, I think I need to get back now.” He looked down at his feet shyly before giving Yoohyeon a soft smile. “Aw, okay,” Yoohyeon said, trying to sound disappointed, when it actuality she was thrilled. Yoohyeon grabbed Yuta’s hand as the two slowly made their way back to the dungeon, and Yoohyeon mentally prepared herself to carry out the second part of her plan…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since gidle is my fave group, and Shuhua is freaking adorable, I couldn't not throw her in this story lol. 
> 
> Do you think Yoohyeon's plan is going to work? Feel free to leave your guesses or any other thoughts below. Have a good weekend and thanks for reading :D


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I took the long weekend off from updating (sorry :/ ) but I should be back with chapter 8 pretty soon <3

“So, I’ve been thinking,” Yoohyeon uttered as the pair finally reached Yuta’s post. 

“Yeah, what is it, Princess?” Yuta asked as he looked curiously into the young woman’s eyes.

“Now that I’m older, I feel like I should be getting more involved in how the kingdom’s run, since one day I’ll be Queen and all,” Yoohyeon waved her hand in the air dismissively, trying to appear nonchalant. 

“That could be a good idea,” Yuta agree, nodding his head lightly.

“How about you let me in to see the prisoners, so I can get a chance to interact with them then? It could be a great way to start learning what kinds of hard decisions leaders need to make for their people.”

“I…I don’t think I can do that, Yoohyeon.” Yuta looked at down at the ground, studying his shoes as if they were the most interesting thing in the world.

“Why not, Yuta?” 

“Well, I would definitely need to clear it by Siyeon, you know the head of the royal guard, and probably your father too…”

“No you don’t, I’m the Princess, so shouldn’t I be allowed to see my people?” “Exactly, you’re the Princess, not the Queen, yet…so I don’t think I can do that.” Yuta rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, wishing Yoohyeon would just drop it.

“Really?” Yoohyeon asked again as she stepped closer to Yuta and whispered seductively into his ear, “not even for me?”

“Look, Princess. Maybe any other time I could, but, and I’m not supposed to say this, but we have a very…important prisoner at the moment.”

“You do?” Yoohyeon’s eyes opened excitedly. Maybe he was referring to the beautiful girl she had seen yesterday.

“Yes, Princess, so I’m afraid I can’t let you inside.” 

“Well, maybe you could tell me a bit about the prisoners then…who is this important one you’re referring to?”

“She’s – well, I’m not sure I can discuss this with you.” Yuta blushed slightly at Yoohyeon’s intense gaze.

“Oh, come on Yuta. We just made out in the forest and now you’re getting shy?” Yoohyeon pouted her lips playfully at the older boy. “Pleaseeee.” “I’m sorry, but I –“ Yuta instantly froze, as he glanced nervously over Yoohyeon’s shoulder. The Princess scrunched her nose confused, and waved her hand in front of Yuta’s eyes.

“Hello, Yuta?” Yoohyeon laughed softly.

“Hello, sir. What brings you around here this afternoon?” Yuta asked of someone standing behind Yoohyeon. Annoyed at the interruption, Yoohyeon rolled her eyes and turned around to come face to face with none other than the King himself.

“Daddy! Hi…” Yoohyeon let out nervously, hoping that the two of them didn’t look too guilty. She would already be in enough trouble for coming to the dungeon, but it would be even worse if her father had any idea Yuta and her had snuck off to make out. Yoohyeon glanced cautiously towards the rosebushes, thinking Handong may have ratted her out, but she was met with Handong’s panicked eyes staring back into her own. If Handong didn’t go get the King then why was he here, Yoohyeon wondered.

“Yoohyeon… what a surprise it is to see you here. Did you forget that you aren’t supposed to be in this area of the castle? Where’s your servant?” The King glared down at his daughter.

“She’s – I…” Yoohyeon glanced back at Handong and waved the servant girl over. The King glanced over to where Yoohyeon was looking and saw Handong slowly stand and walk towards where the other three stood.

“Yuta, what have you and my daughter been up to?” The King’s gaze never left Yoohyeon’s, even as he directed a question at the young guard. Yoohyeon bit her lip nervously, hoping he wouldn’t mention the forest or her questions about wanting to see the prisoners.

“We were just catching up, your majesty. It has been a while since Princess Yoohyeon and I have had the chance to talk.” Yuta spoke quietly.

“And you thought while you were on duty was a good time to do that?” The King coldly asked.

“No, sir, I –“

Yoohyeon put her arm out, cutting off Yuta. “It was my fault dad, I knew he was stationed here today and surprised him. He was actually just telling me it wasn’t a good time to talk.” Yoohyeon gave her father her best puppy dog eyes, hoping he would leave Yuta alone.

“Okay, sweetie.” The King muttered. “Yuta, though I was here to check on Miss Kim, it looks like that will have to wait. I think my daughter and I need to have a chat now instead. Stand guard and we’ll discuss this later.” With that the King turned around. He didn’t motion for Yoohyeon or Handong to follow, but he knew they would.

As the three of them walked back to the castle, Yoohyeon glanced over at Handong. The poor girl was shaking uncontrollably as she tried to hold back tears. Yoohyeon almost felt bad about getting the girl dragged into this, but she was currently too annoyed at her father to really care about her servant’s feelings. 

Once the three reached the throne room, the King paused. He looked at Yoohyeon, and then glanced at the other girl who kept her eyes on the ground as she wrung her hands together. “Servant girl,” Handong instantly looked up at the King, “you can wait here, my daughter will return to you shortly.” Handong nodded, pleased that it looked like the King’s anger wasn’t directed at her. “Yoohyeon, let’s go.” The King pulled open the room’s door and ushered his daughter in with a light push on her shoulder.

“Daddy I’m sorry,” Yoohyeon whispered as soon as the door had closed behind her father. The King walked towards one of the tables and sat down, motioning for Yoohyeon to do the same.

“How many times are you going to continue to disobey me?” The King said calmly, though the fire in his eyes let Yoohyeon know he was anything but calm.

Yoohyeon looked down at the table and slowly traced the pattern carved into the wood. She could tell her father was angry, but she was so pissed that he still treated her like a little girl that wasn’t old enough to make her own decisions.

“I said. How many more times are you going to disobey me?” Her father’s voice had significantly increased in volume, but the words were said slowly, as the King enunciated each word like its own statement.

“Daddy, I –“

“No more apologies, Yoohyeon. I’m sick of it. Just tell me why you were really at the dungeons. I know you don’t give a fuck about talking to that boy that was there.” 

“Who was the girl that was brought to the prisons yesterday?” Yoohyeon asked boldly, looking up at the King who briefly looked taken aback by her question. “I was there, yesterday, when she was carried in by those guards…I saw how mad you were at her. Who is she?” The Princess asked again, more confidently this time.

The King’s look of shock quickly disappeared, and instead a devious smile graced his face. The King, always wanting to get the last word, answered Yoohyeon’s question with a question of his own. “Why do you want to know, my daughter?”

“Because I can tell she’s someone important,” Yoohyeon mumbled. While yes, she was curious because the prisoner seemed to be a person of interest to her father, there was no denying that the Princess was mostly curious because of how breathtakingly beautiful the woman was.

The King eyed her daughter curiously, noticing the blush on her face. “Well, if you must know, she is someone that is likely aligned with a movement trying to kill me, and probably you as well…” Yoohyeon’s eyes shot up to look into her father’s immediately. Someone wanted to kill him? Why, Yoohyeon thought. “She’s a very angry woman, Yoohyeon, but also very beautiful, as I’m sure you noticed,” The King chuckled as Yoohyeon’s cheeks became even redder.

“I – yes, she is very pretty. Why is she trying to kill you though, Daddy?” The Princess asked in a slightly scared voice.

The King sighed heavily, and reached across the table to grasp his daughter’s hand. “There are some very evil people in the kingdom, my daughter. Many of them are power hungry – wanting nothing more than to take the crown from our family and bring destruction and despair upon our people…” He gave Yoohyeon a sad smile, and the Princess watched as her father teared up slightly.

Had Yoohyeon not spent her whole life hidden from the reality of her father’s rule, she would know that he was in fact the one causing harm to their kingdom’s people. However, for all of her father’s flaws, Yoohyeon never once doubted that he cared about the wellbeing of his people, so she didn’t question anything he told her. 

“That woman down there, Kim Minji, assaulted one of our royal guards during an instance where a man, now convicted guilty of treason, was on trial. That’s why she’s currently being apprehended.”

“What is going to become of her?” Yoohyeon asked as she tilted her head slightly towards one side. The King could tell that his daughter was very interested in this woman, and thought that he could try and use that to his benefit. He wanted to make Miss Kim’s life hell, and if Yoohyeon was so intent on being involved in the kingdom’s happenings, why not throw her a bone, and a pretty one named Kim Minji at that. Killing two birds with one stone and all that shit, the King thought smugly.

Yoohyeon watched as her father scratched his beard, pondering the answer to the question asked of him. 

“Well, this one is a special case. You see, her parents, now dead, were the leaders of the rebellion that sought out to steal the crown for their own personal gains. I believe that Miss Kim has spent years having her head filled with lies and it has resulted in her being brainwashed. She was only a young girl when the movement started, and after we captured her parents, my guards lost her.” The King looked down at his own hands and continued sadly, “we had planned to bring her here, for her own protection. She is a very bright girl, and I think there is still hope for her. However, she was taken by those who also share her parents’ delusions, and they have been using her to fight for an immoral cause that she doesn’t even truly understand…” 

“What did you have in mind?” Yoohyeon continued pestering her father. Seeing as he was usually so cold and unresponsive to Yoohyeon, she wanted to take advantage of this side of her father while it lasted.

“Well, I do have an idea…but it would involve your cooperation and dedication to try and save this girl. Are you willing to do what it takes Yoohyeon, both to save her and to protect yourself, Gahyeon, and me, from the demons outside of these castle walls?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow, i hate the king, and i'm the one writing him lol. see you all next chapter byeeeeee


	8. Chapter 8

Minji woke up after a long second night in the dungeons. She could only tell it was morning by the start of sunlight that was streaming in through windows placed high up on the dungeon’s walls, much out of the prisoners reach. Not that it would have mattered even if Minji could get to the window; the bars made it so a human would never be able to fit through anyway. However, the bars were wide enough apart for bugs to get in, much to Minji’s dismay. The young woman was currently laying on her back watching a large spider make its way from the window in her cell down the wall and massaging her neck with her hand lightly. Sleeping on this sad excuse of bed has left her back in knots, and she can’t imagine how Jimin has been doing it for close to six months.

Speaking of the older man, she heard a couple of loud coughs come from the cell next to her, so Minji rolled over to her right side and said a quiet good morning to Jimin. The old man just smiled back at her, still half asleep, so he was too tired to form any words. Minji continued to study the man, noticing that he seemed even thinner today than he did when she arrived a couple days ago. What were they planning on doing with him? He was clearly harmless, and if the King wasn’t planning on executing him, Minji wondered why they were using resources to continue keeping him alive…she had no faith in the King’s humanity, so Minji couldn’t imagine him providing a prisoner with six months’ worth of food just because.

“So, Miss Minji, what are your plans for the day?” Jimin asked the other prisoner sarcastically.

“Hmm,” Minji thought, playing along, “not sure, maybe I’ll go out for a nice walk around town!” The young woman forced a smile, but had to hold back tears as she realized she may never get to walk around freely again. What she would give for just one more day to be with Wonwoo, and Wheein and SuA of course…but the future was looking grim for Miss Kim. 

“That sounds nice,” Jimin laughed, “I was planning on just napping and fasting.” He winked at Minji mischievously.

“Well, that’s good, considering that’s probably what our plans for today will have to be…” Minji said softly, playing with a frayed string on the hem of her shirt. 

“Cheer up, Miss Minji!” Jimin spoke, “No one knows what the future holds, and hopefully yours will be brighter than mine.” The man reached his arms towards the sky in a stretch and let out a heavy sigh.

“Not likely,” Minji mumbled under her breath. She didn’t see a way the King would let her live, unless he was treating Minji in a way that made the girl wish she was dead. Minji shuttered at the idea, her thoughts returning to what the King had alluded to about her mother. Minji sat up and threw a weak punch at the cell’s wall. “Fuck,” she muttered, instantly regretting the decision. Luckily, the girl wasn’t very strong, at least not physically, so she didn’t break any skin. However, she still cautiously ran her fingers over the knuckles of her right hand that was now throbbing. Minji glanced over at Jimin, but he was too busy pissing in those buckets they had to use as a toilet to notice her violent outburst. Minji leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes, hoping to pass the day quicker by getting a nap in, even though she couldn’t have been awake for more than twenty minutes yet today.

Minji had been asleep for only a few minutes before she heard the heavy doors to the dungeon scraping against the floor as they opened, letting in more daylight. Minji threw her left hand over her face to shade her eyes from the brightness, and tried to make out the shadows that were now making their way down the rows of cells.

“She’s in cell one.” Minji recognized the voice immediately and let out a quiet groan. It was Siyeon, that awful royal guard that brought her to this hell. 

Minji stood, knowing they were here for her. One. Two. Three. She counted the figures, knowing that she stood no chance of stopping them from whatever they had planned. Siyeon, and the other two guards, eventually reached Minji’s cell. Siyeon pulled out a large key ring and casually began to flip through the keys to find the one that unlocked Minji’s cell. 

“Long time, no see, Miss Kim,” Siyeon spoke as she looked at Minji for the first time. “I’m going to need you to back up against the wall for me, please. Hands out to your sides so I know you won’t try anything.”

“Why?” Minji asked forcefully. “Where are you taking me?”

Siyeon sighed, “Well, as I’m sure you’ve suspected, you have been charged with treason, so you will be executed today.” The guard glanced at the girl, sympathy flashing briefly in her eyes before it was replaced with an emotionless stare.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Minji thought. This can’t be happening. “Please,” Minji whined, “don’t do this.” The girl slowly backed against the wall and threw her hands out in front of her.

“King’s orders,” One of the other guards said nonchalantly as he shrugged his shoulders. 

Siyeon used the keys to unlock the doors as she stepped into Minji’s cell, one hand on the hilt of her sword in case the girl tried anything. “You two hold her while I unchain her ankle,” Siyeon ordered as she tilted her head in Minji’s direction.

Minji glanced at Jimin, who was just sat in his cell, unfazed. She quickly wiped at a tear that had escaped and tried to think of a way out of this, even if it was futile. As one of the guards approached her, she tried her best to fend him away using her arms, but he still managed to get a firm grip of her wrists as he thrusted them above her head and pinned them to the wall. 

“PLEASE STOP!” Minji screamed, willing to beg at this point, even though she knew her pleads would fall against deaf ears. She felt the cuff around her ankle fall free and was quickly ushered out of her cell towards the entrance of the dungeon. Minji continued to scream and even managed to throw her elbow into one of the guard’s chest. He let out an annoyed huff and in return slapped Minji across the face. Minji let out a loud cry as she felt her face whip to the side.

“Cooperate,” Siyeon commanded as she grabbed Minji’s chin and forced the prisoner to look into her eyes. Siyeon sighed as she saw more tears streak down the girl’s face. She gently took her thumb and wiped one away. “Remember how beat up your friend was, you know the one you got yourself into this situation over? Well, he fought us the whole way, and received an ass-whooping before the whipping you witnessed. Just go with us and your suffering will be minimum, I can promise you that.” Siyeon held the gaze with Minji for a second longer before she once again instructed the two guards holding her to continue moving.  
Minji, terrified at the threat Siyeon’s words held, felt herself go limp in the guards’ grasps as she let them lead her away. 

However, outside of the dungeon stood that a servant, who beckoned Siyeon over with a hesitant wave of her hand.

Siyeon and the guard exchanged hushed words, but Minji was too inside her own head to even try to listen in on the conversation. What did it matter anyway? Pretty soon she was going to be led to the center of town for her own execution. She wasn’t even going to get to say goodbye to SuA. Minji let out another breathy sob. 

Siyeon nodded at the servant and made her way back to Minji and her fellow guards. “Change of plans,” Siyeon stated, “follow me.” With that, Siyeon turned on her heels and headed towards the castle, rather than towards the hills that led to the village.

Minji scrunched her brow, perplexed at the delay, but grateful for the possibility of living another couple hours. She felt the guards begin to drag her after Siyeon, and too exhausted to put up another fight, she dutifully walked with them.

As they walked, Minji studied the castle. She had never been inside the palace’s gates before, and she wanted to admire the beauty of it all, at least just this one. The group made their way inside the castle, and Minji was instantly in awe at how lavish the place was. Gorgeous artwork lined beautifully crafted walls, and Minji couldn’t help but grow even angrier at the King for the way he treated those in his kingdom. Surely with all the money put into this place they could have given the townspeople a better life. Everything outside the palace was dull, run down, and sometimes even downright disgusting, so being in the castle felt like stepping into a fairytale world to Minji.

Eventually, Siyeon guided them to a stop in front of two large doors. Minji glanced at Siyeon, wondering if the woman was going to explain what it was she was doing here. However, Siyeon just knocked on the heavy doors, which were opened almost immediately by another pair of guards. Siyeon firmly gripped Minji’s arm as she dismissed the two guards that had brought her here. As Siyeon guided her forward, Minji peered into the doorway and instantly noticed the King sitting on his throne towards the back of the room. The two made eye contact, and Minji saw a wide grin spread over the King’s face, while a tight-lipped frown appeared on her own.

“Hello again, Miss Kim,” The King called cheerily as Minji heard the door’s slam behind her, locking them all in. Not that it would have mattered anyway, Minji was outnumbered, unarmed, and totally ill-equipped to take down anyone in a fight. There was no escaping whatever the King had planned. Siyeon and Minji eventually reached the center of the room, and Siyeon released her grip on Minji before bowing to the King, pressing a firm hand into Minji’s back to suggest she do the same. Minji instead shooed the guard’s hand away and sent a side eye in Siyeon’s direction.

The King laughed, “Oh, don’t bother Siyeon, this girl would never willingly bow to me, at least not now, but who knows what the future holds, right?” He waved his hand dismissingly at Siyeon, who obediently retreated to stand guard with the other two knights placed at the room’s doors.

“I heard I was almost too late, Miss Kim. I knew your execution was scheduled for today, but had almost lost track of time. That would have been such a pity…” The king trailed off. He had known exactly what he was doing. There had never been plans to execute her today, but he had hoped that his guards were able to play their parts well. The King knew that it would take a lot for this girl to not fight him at every turn, so he had hoped that by letting her think she was going to be executed, if even only for a few minutes, Minji would be a more willing prisoner. The King glanced over at Siyeon, who nodded back at him, indicating that everything had gone to plan. He then returned his gaze to study the woman before him. Laughing, the King bellowed, “what happened to her cheek Siyeon?” The man noticed the bruise that was forming across Minji’s otherwise unmarred face.

“She once again fought against my guard, leading to him sending a message, if you will.”  
“Very well, can’t say I’m surprised,” The King scratched his chin, eyeing Minji up and down hungrily. “Do you know why you’re here, Kim?”  
“No,” Minji muttered as she tried her best to return the King’s stare with an intimidating expression on her face.

“I’ll go ahead and fill you in then,” the King declared. “Well, you were headed to your execution as you know. I figured get rid of you and then this kingdom is free from the abhorrent family that is the Kim’s…”

“The only one with a terrible bloodline here is you,” Minji spat back at the King angrily. 

“Watch your mouth, Minji, it’s because of my ‘terrible’ bloodline that your life is being spared, at least for now.” The King sent a wink down towards the girl now tilting her head in confusion.

Minji didn’t really know what the King meant, but it couldn’t be good. There was no way the monster in front of her would have had a change of heart about killing her personally, so he must have been referencing the Princesses, but why?

“You see, Miss Kim, my daughter took a liking to you. And she has ever so kindly convinced me to spare your life. That is, if you’re willing to…” The man trailed off.

Minji stared back at the man, with her arms folded across her chest. “…willing to what?” The girl asked after it became clear the King was waiting for Minji to speak.

“Well, my Yoohyeon already has a personal servant, and many others to help take care of her basic needs around the castle, but my daughter is still lonely, so all you have to be willing to do is anything she asks of you.” 

The woman definitely didn’t like the sound of that. Minji knew nothing of the Princesses other than that they existed. Were they like their father? Did this girl plan on using Minji the same way the King used her mother, or were his daughters innocent in all this. Minji scoffed, doubting that the two women raised by this man would be anything less than evil. However, Minji was weak, and she wanted to live, and if that meant playing pet to some royal bitch for the time being, she was willing to do it.

“So, how’s it sound? I spare your life and you serve Princess Yoohyeon?”

“Fine,” Minji grumbled. 

“Excellent. We’ll get your training started, and in a few days I’ll introduce you to my daughter, you’ll loveeee her,” the King drawled sarcastically. Minji was about question what the King meant, but she felt the sharp prick of a needle pierce her neck and almost instantly started to feel her knees go weak. This time, however, instead of hitting the ground, Siyeon caught the woozy girl as she drifted into unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feel free to leave any thoughts in the comments below, I love to read them :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so this is my longest chapter by far as of yet, so enjoy :)
> 
> TW: violence/torture

It had been five days since everything had happened with Wonwoo and Minji. SuA was currently sat with Wheein in the crummy cottage once again reviewing the castle’s blueprints. The pair had been able to find plenty of support to help carry out an attack on the castle, and were now trying to figure out the best way to go about it.

There had been no news on Minji, and SuA was fairly certain that if the King was going to have her killed it would be done publicly because of her connection to the revolution. However, they knew that oftentimes villagers were only given a day or two notice before an execution would take place, so they wanted to have everything mapped out perfectly before then. 

“What if we attack just before the execution would be happening,” Wheein suggested, currently pacing back and forth across the room as she ran her hands through her hair. “That way, there would be more guards in the village than usual, meaning that the protection in and around the castle would be weaker.”

“That sounds like a solid plan. We know the King never comes to the executions, so he should still be in the castle, which makes the plan of locate and kill him much simpler than if he was out in public with insane amounts of protection from the guards,” SuA nodded as she jotted down some notes on a loose scroll she had managed to obtain from her father. “We would still need to have everything thought out and ready to go a day or so beforehand though, so we still need to finalize these plans to spread them through all the levels of our people.”

“Yes, definitely. I just wish we knew how much time we had…” Wheein walked over to the window of the cottage and glanced out at the surrounding woods. “They could plan the execution for tomorrow, or it could be another couple of days, hell, even weeks.” “I can’t imagine the King waits that long,” SuA said, tapping her foot nervously against the wooden floor panels. “I’m honestly surprised it’s taken this long. Six whole days Wheein.”  
“Wonwoo barely got twenty-four hours…his execution was announced the moment he was arrested,” Wheein sighed. “Honestly, I’m starting to wonder if Minji will even have an execution…”

“What do you mean?” SuA asked.

“I mean, sometimes people aren’t executed, well, at least not publicly…I highly doubt the King would kill her in privacy, but he may not be planning to kill her at all.”

“Why wouldn’t he? She’s connected to the revolution. There’s no way he would let her go, or let her live!” 

“No,” Wheein sighed, “I highly doubt he wants to let Minji live, but maybe he’s afraid killing her could set off the rebellion. Minji’s parent were loved by the people, and I’m sure that love extends to their only living child…”

“Well, I – I still think the King’s going to execute her, and soon…either way, we still need to focus on creating a plan of attack.” SuA motioned for Wheein to rejoin her at the table, and the pair started to discuss the blueprints of the castle for the umpteenth time that day. The two women had a long couple of days ahead of them if they wanted to succeed in their mission to overthrow the King and hopefully free Minji while doing so.

\--- --- --- ---

Minji awoke from unconsciousness to water being thrown over her half-naked body. The battered woman was currently laying in her bra and underwear on the cold floor of what one could only describe as a torture chamber. Her feet were chained to the ground, not that it mattered; she was too weak to try and escape anyway.  
“Get up,” the King, who had been one of the main people “training” Minji over the last three days, commanded of the young girl. 

The prisoner took a deep breath, which caused her to let out a pained whimper because of the bruising on her ribs, and slowly sat up. Minji wasn’t sure how much more torture her body, let alone her mind, could take. After a few attempts, Minji was finally able to get her feet underneath her and she used the wall to help herself get up onto two feet. 

The King studied the woman up and down, admiring his handiwork. He could see the bruises scattering her torso and thighs, and it was clear the woman was in tremendous pain. He had spent the last seventy-two hours making sure to take any fight left out of the girl. The King planned on handing her over to Yoohyeon, but his daughter was too weak to handle someone as volatile as Minji was when she first came in, so he needed to make her more…compliant. The King had had fun toying with the girl. He made sure the kicks and slaps to the girl wouldn’t leave any permanent marks, as Yoohyeon would have too many questions, but the true damage had come with the waterboarding, reminders of her parents’ deaths, and the lovely little shock collar the girl still donned.

“Come here,” he then commanded of Minji. 

The woman looked at him apprehensively, but was quick to obey. Last time she hesitated to follow his orders he had used some sort of wooden paddle against her back until he had her begging for mercy. 

“Yes, sir?” Minji had also learned to address her superiors, in this case the King, with their proper titles. The King was to be referred to as sir or your majesty, but Minji couldn’t bring herself to say the latter. Once Minji was “gifted” to Yoohyeon, as the King had described it, she was to call her miss, my Princess, or your majesty at all times.

The King took Minji’s chin in his hand, and looked into the girl’s eyes silently for a few moments. Minji just stared with tired eyes back at the man. Suddenly Minji felt a sharp hand collide with her face, sending the much smaller woman stumbling over and onto her hands and knees.   
What had she done wrong, Minji thought. She stayed put on all fours and studied the cell floor. A few tears fell to the ground as Minji tried to muffle the sobs threatening to leave her mouth. She didn’t know why the King just hit her, but she didn’t want to give him any reason to hit her again. Two feet stepped into Minji’s view, and she could feel the King’s hot breath on her face as he bent down right next to Minji.

“Do you know why I hit you?” The King asked of the woman in front of him as he slowly took his pointer finger and tilted the girl’s head up to meet his gaze.

Minji just shook her head no. 

“Use your words, Miss Kim.”

“No, sir,” Minji whispered as she once again lowered her head shamefully. How could she be in this position right now? Part of her wishes they had just executed her and had it done with. This treatment was awful, and so demeaning. Minji didn’t want to obey any of this evil man’s orders, but ultimately she feared the repercussions of disobeying more than she valued her pride. 

“I don’t either…but remember that I don’t need a reason to hit you, because I own you, bitch.” The King sunk his nails into Minji’s skin, causing the woman to let out a pained whimper. “Princess Yoohyeon won’t need a reason to hit you either, so whatever you do, I suggest you stay on my daughter’s good side. Right now, she likes you, or is at the very least interested in you physically, so maybe you’ll be alright,” the King spoke as he patted Minji’s head before standing up and heading to the door.

The King knew his daughter would likely never lay a finger on the girl, she was too soft. Just like her mother, the King sighed as he thought of his late wife. However, Minji needed to think Yoohyeon could lash out at any moment, and judging by the fear in the girl’s eyes, he thinks he’s done a pretty good job of that. Though the King knew Yoohyeon would treat the girl delicately, he still relished in the irony of the situation. This woman’s parents died fighting against the same family this girl would now willingly serve, even if she was only willing because the alternative was her death.

“I’ll send in someone to clean you up and give you some breakfast. You’ll be meeting my daughter tonight, so I suggest you’re on your best behavior…”

“Yes, sir,” Minji croaked out. Still staring at the floor, Minji heard the door to her prison open and close, leaving the young woman once again alone with her thoughts. 

A few minutes later Minji had managed to move herself to the corner of the room, propping herself up against the wall as she held her cheek that was throbbing from the slap she had received. She had laid her head back and closed her eyes, hoping she would be able to sleep, when she once again heard the door open. Minji glanced at the door, expecting to see Siyeon or the guard she had stabbed, Dami she believed was her name, as those were the only other two she had seen since being moved to this location. They usually came in to bring her some water or a fresh bucket to use, or occasionally to torture her. However, this time Minji was surprised to see a servant, the same one that had delivered the food to her and the other prisoners when she was in the dungeon.

“Hello, miss. I’ve brought you some food.” The young girl hesitantly approached Minji, and placed a tray of the same food she’s gotten for the past few days before her. 

“Thanks…” Minji said as she slowly crawled over to the plate and scooped some of the mixture into her mouth. 

The servant stared silently at Minji as she devoured every piece of food on her tray. The past few days had taken an awful toll on her body, and Minji had learned it was important to eat when she was fed because she never knew when the next meal would be provided.

“When you’re done, we need to visit the servants’ wing and get you ready for tonight. My name is Shuhua by the way. I’ll be helping you get ready,” Shuhua smiled demurely at Minji. “I’m sure the King has filled you in that you’ll be transferred to Princess Yoohyeon’s possession for the time being…”  
Minji nodded back at Shuhua, indicating she was well aware of what her future held. The girl had finished her food and was taking her last sip of water when Shuhua padded over to the door and gave it a few knocks.

Shuhua backed away as a guard opened the door. Shuhua stood in the corner with her head bowed and mumbled something about needing Minji adjusted. The guard nodded at Shuhua, and pulled out a pair of handcuffs from his waistband.

“Show me your hands,” the guard commanded gruffly as he reached Minji who was still sat on the floor. Minji slowly got to her feet and held her wrists out in front of her. The man quickly locked the handcuffs into place, and then reached down and unlocked her ankles from the chains that held her in place.

“Alright, you’re good to go, Shuhua,” the guard said as he left the room without another glance at Minji.

“Okay, are you ready?” Shuhua asked Minji gently, as she noticed the prisoner seemed to be struggling to stay standing.

“Yes,” Minji said so quietly that Shuhua barely heard her. Minji tried to walk towards the door where Shuhua was waiting for her, but the pain was so much that she almost fell forward. She let out a pained groan, and looked pleadingly into Shuhua’s eyes. 

“Here, let me help you,” Shuhua rushed to the other woman’s side and wrapped one arm around the girl’s waist and grasped Minji’s handcuffed hands with her other. “It’s not too far of a walk, miss –“ 

“You can call me Minji…please,” Minji requested, interrupting the servant.

“Oh, okay. As I was saying, the servants’ wing is pretty close, so just hold on to me and I promise you can relax once we get there.” Shuhua smiled at Minji, and couldn’t help but let her eyes roam the bruises marring her otherwise fair skin.

As the two made their way down the castle’s halls, Minji continued admiring the interior of the palace. At first, she was surprised that she had been left alone with this servant girl; yeah, Minji was weak normally and even weaker in her current state, but Shuhua couldn’t have been much stronger than her. However, there were armed guards littered throughout the entire castle, which made Minji less optimistic about a chance of escape. The guards curious, and sometimes lustful, eyes followed Shuhua and Minji as they made their way through the halls. Minji was still in her undergarments, and even though she was beat up, there was no denying her body was beautiful. Shuhua must have sensed the stares, as she not so subtly pulled Minji closer into her body and tried to shield as much of her naked torso as possible from the men and woman studying the battered woman.

“I’m so sorry. We’re almost there Minji,” Shuhua whispered into the other woman’s ear as she quickened their pace. 

Luckily, like Shuhua promised, the walk was relatively short and the two women reached their destination shortly after. Once Shuhua opened the doors to where she and the other servants lived in the castle, Shuhua ushered Minji into a small room and handed Minji a blanket to wrap herself in.

“Alright, let’s draw you a bath,” Shuhua mumbled as she disappeared into the bathroom attached to the large room. Minji obediently followed Shuhua and watched from the doorway as the servant got everything ready. 

“Okay, you’re all set. I’ll go ahead and give you some privacy. I’ll be just outside, so please do call me if you need anything. Do you need help getting undressed?” Shuhua asked politely.

“No, I should be fine. Thank you,” Minji waited until she heard the door close softly behind her before slipping out of her bra and underwear, which proved to be incredibly difficult with her hands in their cuffs. Luckily these cuffs had a slightly longer chain than normal connecting her wrists, so she still had some use of her hands. She gingerly stepped into the warm water and lowered herself to a seated position. Minji leaned her head against the ledge of the tub and took a deep breath. It had been days since she had washed, and she felt better already. After a few minutes, Minji decided she better get moving…she didn’t want to keep the sweet servant girl waiting.

Though she had a fine time getting in the tub, Minji was currently struggling to lift herself out of it with her sore ribs. 

“Shuhua,” Minji called after realizing all she was doing was wasting precious energy trying to do this by herself, “I – I could use some help.”

Moments later, the door opened and Shuhua came in. She grabbed a fresh towel off the rack and wrapped Minji in it after helping her step out of the tub. Once Minji was all dried off, Shuhua led the girl back to the main room. 

“Go ahead and sit over there for me,” Shuhua mumbled as she pointed at a lone chair in the middle of the room.

Minji did as she was asked and quietly took in her new surroundings. There were several beds lined up against the back wall, real ones, not the shabby mats that Minji slept on in her prison cell. Minji counted ten in total. There were also a few desks and matching chairs along another wall. Shuhua walked over to a door and opened it, revealing a large closet. The servant girl grabbed a pale blue dress among the other, mostly neutral colored, clothing options. 

“The King directed me to have you wear this for this evening,” Shuhua commented as she played with the buttons that lined the front of the article of clothing. “I’m not sure what he plans on you wearing for the rest of your stay, seeing as you can’t wear this forever, but I’m sure you’ll receive instructions later on. And if not, I know the other servants and I would be more than happy to share.” Shuhua motioned for Minji to come over, and she carefully helped Minji into the garment.

“This dress is beautiful,” Minji mumbled as she smoothed the front of her dress with her hands.

“Yes, it is,” Shuhua agreed. Who was this girl to the King, Shuhua wondered curiously. “Alright, next is hair and makeup. Sit.”

Minji sat back down and watched Shuhua rummage through the drawers of one of the desks. The servant girl returned to Minji with some makeup and ribbon. Minji didn’t wear makeup regularly, it was an expense the woman had deemed unnecessary, seeing as she didn’t even like makeup to begin with.

“Do you have any preferences for the makeup?” Shuhua asked as she opened up the makeup bag.

“Minimal makeup, please,” Minji said begrudgingly, thinking the King wouldn’t be pleased if the woman didn’t show up tonight looking at least somewhat dolled up.

“Okay,” Shuhua nodded. The two sat in silence as Shuhua carefully applied some blush to the girl’s pale cheeks and a layer of mascara. She finished the look with a soft pink lipstick. Shuhua stepped back to admire her work and then produced a small hand mirror for Minji see for herself.

“Pretty…thanks,” Minji complimented.

“You’re welcome Minji,” Shuhua beamed at the praise. “Let me do your hair and then I think you’re all ready…”

Minji sat as Shuhua braided her hair into two French braids. She then tied a delicate, white ribbon to the bottom of each braid in a tiny bow. “It’s done. You look beautiful,” Shuhua commented as she clapped her hands together excitedly.

Minji blushed at the compliment and thanked the other girl.

“So, what do we do now?” Minji asked as Shuhua sat down on a bed Minji assumed belonged to the servant girl. 

“Now, we wait. Thanks to you, I’ve kind of been given a day off. Usually, I’d be cleaning around the castle right now, but instead I get to sit here with you until the guard comes to collect you for your meeting with the Princess tonight.”

Minji just nodded back at the girl, pursing her lips in a tight smile.

“Oh, I almost forgot! You’ll be staying in this room along with me and some other servants. Princess Yoohyeon’s personal servant stays here, so I’m assuming the King has placed you here as well because you will also be working directly for the Princess.”

Of course the Princess has a personal servant, Minji thought. This girl sounded like a royal pain in the ass, pun intended. Minji couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle at her own joke. 

“That bed is yours!” Shuhua pointed energetically at an untouched bed located a few down from hers.

“Okay, thanks,” Minji said.

The two girls passed the next few hours making small talk. Minji learned that Shuhua had been a servant at the palace for five years. She was twenty years old and lost both her parents to the plague and had been living on the street before being approached by a member of the guard for a positon in the castle. Shuhua also rambled on and on about a member of the guard, Soojin, that she had a not so secret crush on. Of course Shuhua had never acted on it, she made sure to emphasize to Minji, but many of the other servants often joked with the young girl about it due to how obvious she was. Minji, on the other hand, didn’t share much, seeing as Shuhua had proven to be quite the chatter-box, but she did tell the other girl that she also lost a loved one to the plague. 

The conversation was quickly cut off when a loud pounding came from the door. Both girls turned to look at the door that was opening to reveal two royal guards. 

“Hello, Miss Kim. The royal family is ready for you,” the guard said as he motioned for Minji to stand up and join them.

Minji hesitantly got to her feet, still pretty sore from everything she had endured over the past few days. Minji gave one last glance over to Shuhua, who gave the girl two thumbs up and mouthed a quick “good luck.” The woman then took a deep breath and joined the guards at the door. She nervously chewed her bottom lip as the guards led her through the castle towards the Princess. The trio eventually reached a large, extravagant doorway. 

“We’re here, miss,” one of the guards said as they both stopped and glanced at Minji. “Are you ready?”

Minji scoffed. Ready as I’ll ever be, she thought. However, Minji mumbled a quick yes and the guards opened the heavy door leading to where the Princess was waiting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Shuhua in this chapter because like I said, I love her
> 
> P.S. Spoiler Alert: Minji and Yoohyeon finally interact next chapter!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, Minji and Yoohyeon's first meeting (hopefully it will be well worth the wait!)

Yoohyeon was sat on her bed rereading an old book. She had spent the last few days patiently waiting to meet Minji. Every time she tried to bring it up to her father, the King had just rolled his eyes and reminded his daughter to be patient. The Princess didn’t understand why it was taking so long, but she figured she should just be grateful that her father is allowing her to meet Minji at all. Yoohyeon still wasn’t entirely clear on her father’s end goal with this plan, but she just understood that she was to treat Minji like a second personal servant. 

Yoohyeon was removed from her thoughts when a light knock rang through her room. Handong, who had been obediently sitting at Yoohyeon’s desk, stood up to see who was at the door.

“Hello,” Yoohyeon heard a male voice address Handong from the doorway. The woman didn’t recognize the voice, so she assumed it must have been a palace worker. Yoohyeon immediately set her book down on her nightstand and made her way to stand by Handong’s side.

“Oh, hello Princess,” a guard said as he bowed in the Princess’s presence. “I’m here to inform you that you need to be ready soon to meet the prisoner, Kim Minji. You’re to meet the King in the throne room at seven, please don’t be late.” With that, the guard turned on his heels and retreated, leaving the two women alone.

Yoohyeon let out an excited squeal, which caused Handong to eye the normally cold woman next to her. 

“Did you hear him Handong? I need to get ready, let’s go,” Yoohyeon gasped, grasping Handong’s hand and pulling her towards the vanity. 

“Do you want me to do your makeup, Princess?” Handong queried.

“Yes, please. I’m just going to leave my hair loose,” Yoohyeon muttered as she studied her reflection in the mirror, looking for any flaws and finding none. She wanted to look perfect when she met this woman, and she hoped that she could get a new friend, or maybe something more out of this little arrangement.

\--- --- --- ---

Yoohyeon glanced over at her father, as the pair was sat in a pair of thrones waiting for the guard to bring in the prisoner. The Princess bobbed her knee up and down impatiently, wishing the guards would just hurry up and get the girl here. The King, on the other hand, just stared ahead into nothing stoically. Yoohyeon scoffed lightly, Minji was taught to fear them, and she was almost certain that her father’s cold demeanor wasn’t going to help this girl view them any differently. The Princess vowed that she would make sure Minji wasn’t afraid of her. She would still need to keep the young woman under control of course, lest her father believe she is incapable of handling this task and takes Minji away from her, but she wanted to prove to this girl that they were good people, to save not only her family but also her kingdom and its people from entering a violent war with those that shared Minji’s beliefs.

Suddenly the noise of doors being opened brought the pair of royals’ attention to the front of the room. Yoohyeon watched in awe as Minji was ushered to the middle of the room by a pair of large guards. She looks so beautiful, the Princess noted as the girl continued to stare at the ground, not having yet made eye contact with the King or Yoohyeon. 

“Welcome, Miss Kim. I’d like to introduce you to my daughter, Princess Yoohyeon.” The King stated as he stood and made his way down the stairs that elevated their thrones, and ushered for Yoohyeon to follow. Yoohyeon leaped out of her seat and hurried to reach her father’s side, who was stood a few feet away from the prisoner.

Minji slowly lifted her head and drew in a sharp breath as she made eye contact with the Princess. She had always heard about the beauty the daughters of the royal family possessed, but she hadn’t ever seen the Princesses in person. Minji studied Yoohyeon, noticing the other woman looked almost nervous, which confused Minji slightly.

“Hello, Minji. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Yoohyeon beamed as she quickly wiped off her sweaty palm on her dress before extending her hand for the other woman to shake. Even though Yoohyeon was trying to appear confident, she couldn’t help but smile shyly at Minji.

Minji eyed the extended hand cautiously, before raising her shackled hand to shake hands with the Princess. The prisoner saw the Princess’s eyes dart down to Minji’s hands and noticed how she tilted her head to the side slightly. 

“Are the handcuffs necessary, daddy?” Yoohyeon questioned as she gently dropped Minji’s hand. She turned to look at her father and gave him her best puppy dog eyes, placing her hand on his arm lightly.

“Yes, it’s for your own safety, Yoohyeon. These handcuffs and the collar ensure that no harm will come to you. I am entrusting her in your care, and you are no trained warrior, so measures needed to be put in place…unless of course you wanted a pair of armed guards to follow your every move with her.” The King turned away from his daughter to glare at Minji, smirking slightly.

Collar? Yoohyeon once again looked at Minji. She had noticed the collar around the woman’s neck, but all the servants wore collars to identify their role in the castle. How was that piece of cloth supposed to keep the girl in line? Minji, on the other hand, shivered at the reminder of the painful shocks this collar could bring. She wrongfully assumed that the Princess was aware of its use, and that the woman had the ability to send a shock to Minji whenever she wanted, just like the King had. Sadly, the King is right, Mini thought. She wanted to escape, but she had also vowed to herself that she wasn’t going to be reckless. With these chains and the collar, not to mention the numerous guards spread throughout the castle’s grounds, Minji didn’t think she would try anything against the Princess, at least not until she could become familiar with her and the castle’s layout. Why hadn’t she studied those damn blueprints more, Minji internally scolded herself.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, miss,” Minji murmured, realizing she had yet to say anything to the Princess.

Yoohyeon couldn’t help but be surprised at how meek the woman before her sounded. This woman seemed nothing like the one Yoohyeon saw when she was being brought to the dungeons. If the woman was really this afraid of Yoohyeon, then she would have a lot of work to do with getting the woman to trust her. She subconsciously bit her lip as she tried to think of ways to get the girl to like her, continuing to eye the slightly shorter woman in front of her.

Minji couldn’t help but notice that the Princess’s eyes continued to study her, and she felt self-conscious and almost small under Yoohyeon’s intense gaze. The woman was very intimidating, especially considering Minji knew nothing about her, other than she was part of a royal family that had made their kingdom a hell for its people. Minji couldn’t hold the Princess’s gaze any longer and she quickly dropped her eyes to her hands as she wrung them nervously, waiting for some kind of direction or signal from the two people in front of her.

“Well, now that you two have been acquainted, I believe it’s time for me to take my leave,” the King announced. He started to head toward the exit, but paused just in front of Minji and placed his hand under the woman’s chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. “It’s been a pleasure Miss Kim, I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around,” the King said faux kindly, as he sent a wink Minji’s way. The King had her back to Yoohyeon, so the Princess had settled for watching Minji’s face during the interaction. She noticed the genuine fear in the woman’s eyes as her father cupped her chin. Yoohyeon sighed. The Princess watched as her father gently released Minji’s face and made his way towards the door.

“Bye daddy!” Yoohyeon called, as her father left with the two guards that had accompanied Minji to the throne room, leaving the pair of women alone.

Minji continued to avoid Yoohyeon’s gaze, instead choosing to pick at the buttons on her dress. 

“Come on,” Minji heard the Princess say gently as she reached for the woman’s forearm, “I want to show you my room. We can get to know each other better there.” Yoohyeon gave Minji what she had hoped was a friendly smile and gently pulled the chained girl’s arm towards the door.

“Okay, your majesty.”

Yoohyeon rolled her eyes at the way Minji addressed her, but chose not to comment on it. She was normally never bothered by being referred to in those terms by those that worked in the castle, seeing as she was a Princess and all, but for some reason she wanted Minji to address her as Yoohyeon, just Yoohyeon.

Once the pair had made their way into the hallway, Yoohyeon dropped Minji’s arm and instead settled on simply walking side by side with her towards her and Princess Gahyeon’s wing of the castle. The Princess had felt how tense the girl felt in her gentle hold, and she really didn’t want to do anything to make the girl uncomfortable.

Minji and Yoohyeon made it to the Princess’s room without uttering a single word; each woman was lost in her own thoughts. Yoohyeon was starting to wonder if this whole help the brainwashed woman was still a good idea, and Minji was terrified that the Princess’s friendly demeanor would disappear the instance the Princess locked them into her bedroom.

“Hello Princess, welcome back,” Handong greeted as the two women made it to Yoohyeon’s room. Minji watched as the young women, who she assumed was the Princess’s personal servant Shuhua had mentioned, curtsied at the two approaching her.

“Hi Handong!” Yoohyeon called rather excitedly, much warmer than she had been with Handong for most of the servant’s time with her. 

Handong couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow curiously at the Princess. The servant correctly assumed that the positive mood had something to do with the other woman dutifully walking beside the Princess, but was still taken aback by Yoohyeon’s friendly demeanor. Handong gave Minji a once over, and began to understand why Yoohyeon had been so determined to meet the girl. She knew that the Princess had an interest in beautiful women, and thought back to the fate of the poor personal servant that had held Handong’s place at one point. Fearing a similar fate to Irene, Handong had purposefully kept their interactions professional, which had in turn seemed to make Princess Yoohyeon dislike her, but it was better than being dead, Handong mused.

“Handong, meet Minji! Minji,” Yoohyeon lowered her voice as she turned to the young woman, “this is Handong, my personal servant.” The Princess sent another soft smile at the timid prisoner.

“It’s nice to meet you…miss,” Minji whispered, as she made eye contact with the other woman.

Handong let out a surprised laugh, “please, address me as Handong, Minji,” Handong asserted as she reached a hand out to caress Minji’s bicep.

The Princess noticed that Minji didn’t flinch away from the contact like she had when Yoohyeon reached for her. Yoohyeon felt like crying; what was it going to take for this woman to believe she meant no harm? Things had almost always come easily to the Princess, and she wanted Minji to like her instantly.

“Alright,” Yoohyeon started, “Minji and I are going to get acquainted before I head off to bed. Could you just wait outside Handong? I’ll have you escort Minji to the servants’ wing as I understand she’ll be staying with you.”

“Sounds good, Princess. I’ll see you later Minji,” Handong gave Minji’s bicep another gentle squeeze before releasing her arm. Handong then turned to eye the Princess suspiciously. She knew that Yoohyeon would never do anything to intentionally harm the new girl, but the Princess was used to getting what she wanted, and Handong couldn’t help but notice how nervous Minji looked, so she just hoped the Princess didn’t try anything. Handong would need to have a talk with Yoohyeon and see where the woman’s head was at, but for now she would give the two some privacy.

Princess Yoohyeon opened the door to her bedroom and gently ushered Minji inside. Once both women were in the room, Yoohyeon closed the door and turned to face the prisoner, who was stood stoically in the center of the room.

Yoohyeon let out a sad sigh as she once again looked at Minji’s chained hands. She walked over to the woman and hesitantly reached out her own hands and placed them in Minji’s. “I’m sorry that my father has insisted you need to be chained,” she whispered as she tucked a loose strand of Minji’s hair behind her ear. Yoohyeon had always been one to show physical acts of affection, with everyone from her sister to those she had shared romantic moments with, so she hoped her actions would calm the tense girl down. 

However, the actions were in fact having the opposite effect on Minji. As the Princess touched her, she couldn’t help but hold her breath. The woman eyed the Princess and observed what looked to be genuine concern spread across the Princess’s face.

“Let’s sit. Feel free to go and sit at the chair by my vanity,” Yoohyeon announced as she made her way to her bed and flopped down onto it. The move was so “un-Princess-like” and unexpected that Minji’s face broke out into a small smile momentarily, but the Princess had been staring at her ceiling, so she didn’t see the brief change in Minji’s demeanor. 

After sitting at the vanity, Minji took a few moments to look over the contents thrown across the desk messily. There was loose makeup, jewelry, a few random trinkets, and some charcoal drawings on the desk. Minji reached out and rubbed her finger over one of the drawings; it was absolutely beautiful. The women silently wondered if the Princess had drawn these.

“So…” Yoohyeon said as she propped herself up onto her elbows, “tell me a bit about yourself.”

Minji immediately placed her hands back into her lap, and slowly turned to face the Princess, leaning on the back of the chair. She wrinkled her nose slightly, wondering what the Princess’s angle was. Hadn’t her father filled her in on who Minji was? Maybe not, Minji thought, considering she had made a fuss over Minji being restrained.

“What do you want to know, miss?”

“Whatever you want to share, Minji.” Yoohyeon shrugged her shoulders as she swayed her feet back and forth at the edge of the bed.

“Um, well, I’m twenty-two… and I’ve lived in the kingdom my whole life.” Minji stammered as she picked at her fingernails.

“Tell me what you like to do for fun. Like do you have any hobbies or favorite places to go around the village?” Yoohyeon inquired.

Minji paused. She had become so consumed with the rebellion the last few years that she hadn’t spent much of her time or energy on anything else. The girl didn’t think saying that her hobby was plotting to overthrow the King would go over very well though…

“I like cooking,” Minji commented. “I always cooked for my uh...family…when I was um, at home.”

“Really?” Yoohyeon exclaimed. “I’ve never cooked anything before, being the Princess and all…Maybe you could cook for me sometime!” The Princess suggested as she moved into a sitting position.

“Yeah, I could do that…” Minji forced a smile as she nodded slightly at Yoohyeon.

A few moments of silence passed between the pair. Minji once again dropped the Princess’s gaze.

“I like to draw,” Yoohyeon commented with a slight blush. She stood up and went to join Minji at the vanity. The Princess lifted the same drawing that had caught Minji’s eye earlier, and showed it to the Princess. “I drew this when I was out by the garden. It’s my favorite drawing I’ve done so far…” Yoohyeon mumbled. Her actual favorite drawing was a portrait that she had done of her mother, from memory of course, but that drawing was hidden away in a drawer. She had never shown it to anyone, and the Princess wasn’t one to be vulnerable, so she didn’t plan on showing it to anyone anytime soon.

“It’s beautiful,” Minji agreed.

“You know, maybe I could draw you sometime. A face as beautiful as yours deserves to be seen for many generations to come…” Yoohyeon blushed as soon as the words left her mouth. Fuck, she cursed internally. That sounded way too flirty, Yoohyeon, the Princess scolded herself.

Minji just mumbled a quiet thanks as she awkwardly shifted in her chair. Was the Princes flirting with her, Minji questioned. She furrowed her eyebrows as she played with the cuffs on her wrist.

Yoohyeon let out a loud yawn, trying to distract from what she had just said. “Well, I’m exhausted,” the Princess uttered as she crossed over to the other side of the room, creating some distance between her and the other woman. “I think I’m going to head to bed. I’ll get Handong…” The princess opened her door, retrieving the servant.

“I’m retiring for the evening Handong. Please make sure Minji has everything she needs for the night. I’ll see you both her in the morning at your usual time.” Yoohyeon stated as she beckoned Minji over to the doorway with a light flick of her wrist.

“Goodnight, Minji. I hope you enjoy your stay in the castle. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Sleep well, Princess,” Minji bowed gracefully at Yoohyeon before her and Handong made their way out of Yoohyeon’s quarters.

The Princess closed the door quietly behind them. She turned and slowly sunk down against it until she felt her bottom hit the floor. Yoohyeon sighed as she laid her head against the door. The woman hadn’t been lying, she was exhausted and was looking forward to getting some sleep. However, she couldn’t help but also be excited about tomorrow. She finally had what she wanted, Minji, and she was determined to get the woman to open up to her, no matter what it took.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave your thoughts below :) 
> 
> Hopefully I'll have the next chapter done and out sometime this weekend


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is getting up a bit later than intended :(

Minji silently followed the other servant girl, Handong, back to the servants’ wing. Minji absentmindedly chewed on her lower lip. She quickly eyed the woman next to her, wondering how the servant was feeling about the added presence of another “personal servant” to the Princess.

“Here we are, Minji. Your new home,” Handong murmured quietly as she pushed open the door to the same room Minji had been in earlier. This time, however, there were several other people in the room. Some people were already sleeping, seeing as it was already a little after ten at night, while others were whispering amongst themselves as they prepared for bed. Minji instantly surveyed the room to try and find Shuhua, since the young woman had become someone Minji felt like she could trust, but was disappointed to not see her presence.

“We’ll have a long day ahead of us Minji,” Handong said as she gently grabbed the girls arm, guiding her towards the shared bathroom, “let’s get ready for bed.”

Minji nodded back at Handong. “I, uh, don’t have any other clothes to wear…” Minji muttered as she shyly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“That’s no problem, I’ll lend you a pair. We look about the same size.” Handong quickly eyed the girl up and down, and then gave the other woman a kind smile.

Together the two women got changed and ready for bed. There were still about three or four other women up and about in the room, but no one made a move to introduce themselves to Minji. Minji could feel the curious glances that were being thrown her way, especially to the chains that were still around her wrists, and she quietly asked Handong about it. The other servant explained that word had travelled fast that one of the Princess’s had made a request to save a peasant’s life, the first life that had been spared by the royals ever since the Queen’s passing. That meant there was plenty of jealousy and curiosity surrounding Minji. 

“Pay them no attention,” Handong whispered as she flicked her hand dismissively, “with the Princess hung up on you, you’ll be set.” The servant made her way over to her twin bed, and motioned for Minji to lay down on the one next to hers.

Minji quirked a brow towards Handong, wondering just how long she would be “set” for. The woman was still under the impression that she had been spared because Princess Yoohyeon found her attractive, and that the Princess was probably only interested in getting Minji in her bed. However, before she could ask the other servant about it, Handong flopped onto her back and pulled the covers over her head.

“Wow, I’m beat,” Handong muttered from under the sheets. She peeked over the blanket and glanced at Minji. “We need to be by the Princess’s room by nine tomorrow. Don’t worry about oversleeping, I’ve been doing this for months, so I can wake you in the morning. Goodnight, Minji.” Handong then rolled over, facing away from Minji.

“Goodnight, Handong,” Minji smiled, thinking that there was a chance that this kind woman could become an ally for her in this overwhelming place. The woman carefully laid back on the bed. Minji let out a soft sigh at how comfortable the bed was. While she was sure it was nowhere near the same quality as the beds wealthy people used, it was heads and shoulders above the cold floor that she had spent the last few nights sleeping on.

Even though she was exhausted, sleep didn’t come easy to Minji. Her mind kept replaying ever second of her time with the Princess earlier that night. She had been scared of the Princess, and to be entirely honest she still was, but the Princess had been nothing but kind to her, so far at least. Minji chewed her thumbnail, trying to figure out what the Princess’s end game was. Maybe when she felt more comfortable with Handong she could start asking questions about the Princess, such as how much say did the woman have in the way things were run in the kingdom. Considering the Princess had had enough pull to save Minji, Minji assumed she must have quite a bit, which would also mean she’s aware of what’s happening and either choosing to let it slide, or possibly even taking part in the cruel decisions carried out by the royal guards. Either way, Minji knew she had to be on her toes around the Princess, and she hoped she could stay at least one step ahead of her games.

\--- --- --- --- 

After a restless night, Minji was awoken the next morning to a gentle hand shaking her arm.

“Minji,” Handong whispered gently, “it’s time to get up.”

Minji yawned and rolled over to look at Handong. The woman blinked her eyes a few times and tried to rub the tiredness out of them. Handong just smiled down at Minji sweetly.

“How’d you sleep?” Handong asked with a slight quirk of her brow, noticing that the other woman looked exhausted still, despite getting almost eight hours of sleep.

“Not great,” Minji sighed, “but I’m sure I’ll sleep better as the nights go on.” Minji slowly sat up and made her way quietly to the bathroom. “Where are all the other servants?” Minji asked, still hoping to see Shuhua again.

“Everyone else starts their days at seven,” Handong explains. “Working for the Princess has its perks,” Handong laughed, sending another friendly smile towards Minji as the servant sat on her bed, waiting for Minji to get ready. “It’s twenty to nine…sorry if I should have given you more time to get ready, but we’ll eat breakfast with the Princess, so hopefully fifteen minutes is long enough.”

“Yeah, I’ll be ready in a minute,” Minji stated as she closed the door behind her. The woman paused, looking at her reflection in the mirror. The woman couldn’t deny she didn’t look great. Her hair was a mess from all of the tossing and turning, she had lost some weight from the lack of food while being imprisoned, and she still had these damn chains and shock collar on. Minji had also neglected to take off her makeup from the night before, so she decided to take a quick shower, hoping no one would mind that she was using whoever’s soap that she saw still sitting in the shower. 

Ten minutes later Minji was getting dressed in a light dress that Handong had offered her. The girl threw her wet hair into a loose bun and made her way back into the main room.

“I’m ready to head out, Handong.” Minji looked over at the other woman who had been lying in bed reading book. Upon hearing Minji saying she was ready, Handong popped up and met the other woman at the door.

“Okay, we’ll head to the Princess’s room.” Handong then made her way out of the servants’ wing with Minji following slightly behind her.

As the pair made their way to the Princess’s room, they passed many guards, all of whom gave the two women long looks. Handong peeked over her shoulder and saw Minji now had her head lowered, uncomfortable with all of the attention. The servant slowed her gait, so that she was able to fall in stride with Minji. Handong gently wrapped her fingers around Minji’s elbow, hoping that the physical touch would allow the woman to feel less vulnerable. 

Once Minji felt a gentle grip on her arm, she curiously peered over at the woman next to her. Minji had determined that Handong was not a threat to her, maybe not a friend yet, but she wasn’t afraid of her like she was of the royals and the guards she had encountered thus far.

Soon the two women reached Princess Yoohyeon’s room. Handong gave a light knock on the door to alert the Princess of their arrival.

“Wait one minute!” Minji heard a voice yell from inside the room moments after Handong knocked. Minji and Handong waited a few moments longer before the door swung open wildly, revealing Yoohyeon clad in her pajamas, still half-asleep.

“Good morning,” Yoohyeon smiled as she beckoned for Minji and Handong to come in. “Sorry, I just woke up, as I’m sure you noticed.” The Princess scratched her head as she made her way over to her closet. 

“No worries, Princess,” Handong murmured as she led Minji to the corner of the room with her where the two waited as the Princess got ready. Normally, Handong would help Princess Yoohyeon dress, but the servant watched as Yoohyeon gathered her clothes and closed herself in the bathroom attached to her bedroom. 

Yoohyeon was currently trying to lace up the back of her dress, but she was beginning to realize that a personal assistant wasn’t only beneficial, but it was also necessary if she was going to wear this type of attire. The Princess sighed, placing her palms on the counter as she gave herself a once over in the mirror. Yoohyeon splashed some water on her face, before giving up and calling for Handong to come help her. After hearing a light knock, the Princess opened the door slightly and grabbed Handong’s arm, tugging her into the bathroom with her before once again closing the door. 

Handong bit back a smirk as she helped the woman before her close the back of her dress. The servant could tell that the Princess was interested in Minji, but she was surprised to see Yoohyeon almost nervous around her, especially after witnessing the way she so easily seduced Yuta outside of the dungeon.

“Thanks, Handong,” Yoohyeon said as the servant finished tying her dress. The Princess turned around to face Handong, and gave the woman a tight smile. “Are we ready to head to breakfast?”

“Yes, Princess.”

“Great, let’s go get Minji.” Yoohyeon opened the door to her bedroom and made eye contact with the other woman. Minji almost instantly dropped the Princess’s gaze, instead choosing to study the décor lining the Princess’s walls. “It’s time for breakfast,” Yoohyeon called as she waltzed towards her bedroom door. 

The three made their way to the kitchen, where Yoohyeon called for the head chef to prepare three breakfasts for her and her two servants. 

After the three women were seated, the food was brought out shortly after. Minji looked at the food that was set in front of her by another servant. It looked delicious. Within seconds of it being placed in front of her Minji had dug in, not bothering to wait for a signal from the Princess.

Handong laughed lightly at the woman’s eagerness. “What had they been feeding you?” She asked quietly as she bumped her arm against Minji’s before taking a bite of her own food.

“Not much,” Minji whispered, “and nothing good.” 

Though Yoohyeon was sat across from the two servants, she instantly zoned into the conversation. The Princess’s head snapped up from her food at Minji’s response. “What do you mean, Minji? Had you not been taken care of properly?” Yoohyeon couldn’t keep the irritation out of her tone.

Minji froze mid bite. She hadn’t realized what she had said until it was already out of her mouth. The prisoner eyed the Princess cautiously. Of course they hadn’t been taking care of her properly, she was a prisoner, Minji thought. Minji twitched her brow, trying to discern if the anger in the Princess’s voice was directed at her.

“Please,” Yoohyeon reached across the table to grasp at Minji’s idle hand, “I will have it handled if you weren’t cared for under our protection.”

“I was fed,” Minji stated vaguely, studying the Princess as she let out a gentle sigh and released her grip on Minji.

“Good,” the Princess commented, returning her attention back to her food.

The three women soon finished their breakfasts and Yoohyeon suggested the three of them take a quick tour of the castle so Minji could get acquainted with the area. Handong and Minji had nodded in agreement, and Minji quickly found herself walking down the castle’s halls with her arm linked in the Princess’s, as Handong trailed behind the pair slightly. 

Yoohyeon talked essentially the entire time. She identified what each room was and its purpose for Minji. The three were currently stood outside the library, which was bigger than the house Minji had grown up in.

“Feel free to let me know if there’s a book you would like to read, or a topic you’d like to research. I’m sure whatever you could want to read we’ll have,” the Princess bragged as she sent a bright smile down to the shorter girl stood next to her.

“Thanks,” Minji whispered almost inaudibly. She was in awe at the size of the space. Books lined the walls from the floor to the ceiling, which had to be at least twenty feet tall. 

“Alright, next is the gardens, my favorite place,” Yoohyeon tightened her grip on Minji’s arm, but before she could lead the woman out the library, Handong spoke up.

“Princess, we’ve been walking around for hours, it’s almost dinner time. You’re to dine with your father and Princess Gahyeon this evening.” Handong looked at the Princess apologetically, and almost fearing she was maybe overstepping her position.

Yoohyeon sighed, “I almost forgot.” The Princess dropped Minji’s arm dejectedly. “I guess I will see you both outside of my room after dinner then.”

Both servants said their goodbyes before the Princess made her way back towards the dining hall, giving Handong and Minji a brief reprieve. 

“The servants usually all dine together for dinner…” Handong said as she walked to stand beside Minji. “Shall we head out?”

“Sure,” Minji replied, giving the other woman a slight nod.

The two made their way over to the servants’ wing, which had its own dining space, Handong explained. After a few long minutes of silence, Minji spoke up.

“Handong?” Minji mumbled as she slowed her walk to a stop in an empty corridor. 

“Yes, Minji?” Handong sensed the concern lacing the other woman’s voice as she turned to face the prisoner.

“What does the Princess want from me?” Handong sighed. She had been trying to figure out the same thing. At first, Handong thought that the Princess was only interested in the woman’s looks and had hoped to bed her. She still wasn’t totally sold the Princess’s intentions were better than that, but after watching them interact throughout the day, Handong was starting to think maybe Yoohyeon actually wanted to just befriend the girl. She knew the Princess could be a bitch, but she was also a good soul beneath it all, so Handong wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt.

“I honestly don’t know, Minji,” Handong shrugged as she gave Minji a half smile. 

“Please, Handong,” Minji whispered desperately as she placed one hand on Handong’s shoulder, gripping slightly harder than she intended to. Though Minji didn’t entirely trust the servant yet, she had more faith in her than the Princess, and she hoped that Handong would clue her in on her fate if she knew what was happening. 

Handong tensed slightly under Minji’s grasp and tried to casually look around for a castle guard, finding none. Minji had given Handong no reason to fear the prisoner, but she had heard the rumors about how she was arrested for her violent spree on several royal guards and was starting to think they may be true. 

“I really don’t Minji. I’m sorry,” Handong said softly as she put her hand over the one Minji had placed on her shoulder, gently peeling her fingers from their hold on her.

“Okay. I understand,” Minji grumbled as stepped back from Handong, noticing the slight panic that had filled her eyes. She hadn’t meant to scare the woman, but seeing Handong’s reaction made Minji realize that she feared Minji, even if ever so slightly. Even if she does know the Princess’s intentions, Handong’s loyalty is to the crown, Minji thought sadly. “Let’s just go to dinner then…”

“Alright,” Handong agreed, turning around abruptly before walking off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please share your thoughts, I really like reading the comments :)


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright I have some news…
> 
> Good News: this is by far the longest chapter of the story yet, so enjoy :)
> 
> Bad News (for this fic anyway): I got a job and it’s mentally exhausting lol. I promise I won’t abandon this story, but updates are likely going to drop to once a week (or maybe twice occasionally)

Ever since Wonwoo’s execution, Siyeon had been doing nothing but training more guards in preparation for battle. The King had mentioned to her that Wonwoo’s execution and Minji’s arrest might spark more movement for the impending rebellion from the villagers. Siyeon wasn’t at all surprised, considering the way most people in the kingdom were treated. Hell, if she wasn’t the head of the guard, she would probably join the rebellion too, Siyeon mused.

“Dami?” Siyeon called as she finished sparring with a new recruit, sheathing her sword in its home on her waist.

“Yes, Siyeon?” Dami had been looking over notes from the guards that had been tasked with surveilling the kingdom the past few days, but paused to look up at her partner when Siyeon called her.

“It’s time for my weekly meeting with the King. Watch over everyone for me?” Siyeon directed as she patted her sweaty brow with a towel.

“You got it. Good luck,” Dami smirked, knowing how much of a dick the King could be. Both women were aware that they themselves weren’t warm or welcoming by any means, but the King was whole other animal. The pair had essentially been raised together, since both of their parents were members of the guard until their daughters took over their positions a few years ago. For the last twelve years, under the King’s solo reign of the kingdom, Dami and Siyeon had been trained to be merciless, cold-blooded killers, and considering each of them were only in their early twenties, the two girls barely remembered anything else.

“Thanks, God knows I’ll need it,” Siyeon laughed, rolling her eyes as she made her way out of the training room.

Siyeon made her way to the throne room, which is where she met with the King every week to discuss any changes in the guard, go over any arrests that had been made, and how unrest amongst the villagers seemed.

“Welcome, Siyeon,” the King called as he beckoned Siyeon over to the table he was sat at. “How are things?”

“Things have been relatively quiet, sir. Quieter than expected anyway with fear of repercussions from the execution of Wonwoo,” Siyeon explained.

“That’s good. Sit, please,” the King directed as he pointed to the open seat across from him. He ran his fingers through his long, grey beard, staring at Siyeon deep in thought. “I believe I have a new assignment for you Siyeon.”

Siyeon’s eyebrows rose in disbelief. She had thought she had been managing the head position quite well, and didn’t see why the King would ask her to step down, if that was indeed what he was planning on doing. Siyeon cleared her throat before saying, “What is that, sir?” 

“I know you have said things are quiet, but I still believe that there is going to be a large amount of retaliation for what occurred last week. There is a chance that the retaliation will be bigger, more rehearsed.”

Siyeon nodded. “I think so too, sir. Which is why we have greatly increased our recruitment and training efforts.”

“I want a man on the inside. I think that ‘man,” the King laughed softly, “should be you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, we know Wonwoo left behind a wife, Wheein. Our patrols have also uncovered that Minji was living with a one Kim Bora, or SuA as she now calls herself, ever since we killed her parents.”

“And you think these two will have taken over Wonwoo and Minji’s roles in the rebellion?” Siyeon asked, placing her elbows on the table as she leaned in closer, intrigued by this new information.

“I think so, yes. I want you to go undercover. Find out what you can about this SuA. We have some information on Wheein already since we had been tracking Wonwoo’s movements for quite some time, but more intel on her would be welcomed as well.”

“How, sir? Should I be going to those two directly? Wouldn’t that seem suspicious? A random villager instantly, one they’ve never seen before, tries to befriend you…I would personally find that quite odd,” Siyeon commented.

“That’s for you to figure out, Siyeon,” the King waved his hand dismissively. “You’re smart. Plus, there’s no chance you would be recognized as a member of the guard with all of the gear and paint the guards don when outside of the castle’s walls. The safety of our kingdom is on the line, Siyeon. And don’t for one second think that these rebels are only after the royal family. If I fall, so do you…” the King asserted.

Siyeon had to stop herself from rolling her eyes into the back of her head at the King’s remark. Of course she knew she was as hated as the King, all of the guards were.

“So, Siyeon, does this plan interest you?” The King asked, even though both the King and Siyeon knew she wouldn’t refuse.

“Yes, sir. I’ll find out what I can. Shall I start tomorrow then?”

“No…the day after. I’ll give you tomorrow to figure out your plan. If you succeed Siyeon, we could put an end to the rebellion once and for all. And, if you fail…well, your second in command, Dami is it – anyway, she could easily replace you,” the King threatened as he glared sharply at Siyeon.

“That won’t be necessary, sir,” Siyeon replied with a tight-lipped smile. “I can assure you that if Wheein or SuA are involved in the rebellion I’ll find out about it, and they’ll be taken care of.”

“Excellent. That will be all for today Siyeon. We’ll talk again briefly tomorrow evening before you’re taken into the village.” The King nodded at Siyeon before shooing her away with a flick of her wrist.

Siyeon stood, and bowed slightly before making her way towards the exit. The King had seemed more tense than usual. Siyeon wondered if he was genuinely concerned about the strength of this rebellion happening within their kingdom. Siyeon knew it was unlikely a group of peasants could infiltrate the castle, let alone get to the King. However, she knew she couldn’t fail this mission. Siyeon didn’t want to lose her position as head guard should she fail, and who knows what her new role would be within the ranks, if she was even spared that is. Siyeon laughed, knowing the King killing her was a reach, but one could never know with that man. She definitely didn’t trust him, so she would find out as much intel as she could on Kim Bora and this Wheein before returning back to the castle.

\--- --- --- --- 

The past three days had passed by quietly for Minji. She had spent each day with the Princess and Handong. Though Minji was still somewhat hesitant around Princess Yoohyeon, the woman had been nothing but warm towards her in all of their interactions. She had learned the Princess was quite whiny, especially with her father and Handong. Had Minji met the woman under different circumstances, she might even call Yoohyeon cute, but seeing as this woman was daughter of the man that had ruined her life, she didn’t really care to empathize with her.

The three had just finished another delicious breakfast together.

“Handong?” Yoohyeon called over to the servant girl.

“Yes, Princess?” Handong redirected her gaze from her plate to look into the Princess’s warm, brown eyes.

“Take the afternoon off. Now that Minji has been here for a few days, I think she’s equipped enough to babysit me,” the Princess sent a small smile towards Handong, trying to joke with the servant girl.

Handong looked at the Princess and then over to the relatively quiet prisoner. She hadn’t received any direction from the King in if she was no longer needed by the Princess’s side twenty-four seven. However, Handong couldn’t deny that an afternoon off sounded nice, she hadn’t gotten one of those ever since she started as the Princess’s personal servant many months ago.

“Please,” Yoohyeon whined once she noticed the hesitant look in Handong’s eyes, “I promise we’ll behave.” She reached a hand out and laid it on Handong’s forearm, giving the other woman a gentle squeeze as she pouted her lips flirtatiously.

Minji discreetly took the scene in. She had witnessed this pouty side of the Princess before, but the look she was currently giving Handong was more…friendly, Minji noted. Minji was torn between feeling relieved and irritated that the Princess’s sole attention wasn’t on her. It was true that Handong had been around for most of Minji and Yoohyeon’s interactions the past few days, but the Princess often treated Handong as if she was invisible. Yes, Minji was still slightly uncomfortable around the Princess, but it was kind of nice to have someone hang on to every word you say and seem genuinely interested in your presence.

“Alright,” Handong relented. “I will be back just before dinner so Minji and I can head over to the servants’ wing together.” Handong sent a warning gaze at the Princess, “I better not hear about you doing anything you’re not supposed to be doing though…”

“You won’t. I swear,” the Princess giggled softly as she drew a cross over her heart, attempting to convey that she would be on her best behavior.

“Is that alright with you, Minji?” Handong directed her attention over to the imprisoned woman. 

Minji raised an eyebrow. As if she had any say in whether she wanted to be alone with the Princess. “Yes, that’s fine. I’ll see you at dinner, Handong,” Minji confirmed, nodding at the woman.

Handong smiled back at the girl before she bid a farewell to the Princess and left the room, headed to go take a much needed bubble bath.

Minji continued to stare at her breakfast, awkwardly moving around the last few bites of her omelet on the plate. She chewed her lip nervously, wondering what the Princess had planned for their afternoon together.

“Are you finished eating, Minji?” Yoohyeon asked, sending a bright smile towards the other woman when the two finally made eye contact.

“Yes, miss,” Minji replied softly.

The Princess clapped her hands together excitedly before hopping out of her seat. “Perfect! I’ve been thinking…it’s been days since I’ve been outside. Would you like to go for a walk around the flower gardens?” The Princess asked of the other woman hopefully, wanting to show Minji that there was more to this castle than its boring walls.

“That sounds lovely,” Minji nodded. She hadn’t been outside since being transferred from the castle’s dungeon to her own personal dungeon for the “training.” The prisoner shivered at the memories that came flooding back to her. Minji gingerly reached up and pulled at the shock collar around her neck, starting to think that maybe the Princess wouldn’t shock her if she continued to behave. She hadn’t received any shocks yet, which was a stark change from the incessant shocks she received from the King for seemingly no reason while under his watch.

“Great, I’ll have to inform the guard of where we’re headed,” the Princess rolled her eyes as she sighed dramatically, “but I’m sure they’ll let us go.” Yoohyeon reached out a hand, signaling for Minji to take it. 

Minji accepted the outreached hand, and the Princess helped Minji stand up from the table before pushing in Minji’s chair for her.

After the two got the okay from the guards, Princess Yoohyeon began leading Minji towards the flower gardens, which were located in the center of the castle. It was the only outdoor space the Princess ever got to go without a guard tagging along, and that was because even though it was outside, she was still essentially trapped inside the castle.

Yoohyeon never dropped Minji’s hand, so the two were still connected as the Princess bounded down the castle’s halls. The hold was slightly uncomfortable for Minji since her hands were still chained together. Her right hand, which was not enclosed in the Princess’s grip, rested gently across her stomach so that the chains wouldn’t pull painfully at her skin.

Once the two finally made it to the flower gardens, the Princess pulled Minji closer into her, before leading her outside. 

“Want to start by just walking around and looking at the flowers? This is my favorite part of the castle’s grounds. It’s so pretty.” The Princess sighed bending down to admire a yellow flower that had just bloomed.

Minji smiled down at the Princess, liking this soft, bubbly side of her. She was almost...childlike, Minji noted as she watched the other woman move from flower to flower slowly studying each one wide-eyed.

“Minji, come here!” The Princess called excitedly, turning to look at the prisoner who was still stood at the spot where Yoohyeon had dropped her hand. 

Minji walked over and looked at the flowers the Princess was pointing at, recognizing them from the drawing she had seen on the Princess’s desk a few days ago.

“These lilies are my favorite! I actually – “

“I remember these from your drawing…” Minji cut off the Princess, widening her eyes and dropping her gaze to her toes once she realized her mistake.

“I did! You remembered?” Yoohyeon asked, beaming.

“Yes, miss. You said it was your favorite drawing you’ve done,” Minji stated, remembering how proud the Princess had looked when she showed her the black and white sketch she had created.

“Yep,” Yoohyeon said, popping the p sound. “Come on, let’s sit!” The Princess ushered Minji over to a dainty bench against one of the castle’s walls on a small patch of grass. The two sat down on the bench and sat in a moment of silence, each girl internally just enjoying the gentle breeze on their faces and the chirps of the birds in the trees.

After a few minutes, Yoohyeon sighed and turned to face Minji, propping an elbow on the back of the bench. The Princess studied Minji’s profile, admiring the way her dark hair fell over her shoulders loosely and the peaceful look on her face, one of the first times the Princess has seen the other woman look relaxed since they’ve met. Yoohyeon furrowed her brows, deep in thought. It had been three whole days now that the two of them had been together, and Minji still hadn’t opened up to her. She didn’t even know what she wanted from the girl…but she wanted more than what she was getting, which was usually short, but still polite, responses in any of their conversations. The Princess slowly reached out a hand and twirled a strand of Minji’s dark hair around her fingers.

“Can I braid your hair, Minji?” Yoohyeon asked hesitantly, nervous that she was overstepping and possibly making the other woman uncomfortable. 

Minji tensed slightly, startled by the touch, but nonetheless nodded her head, signaling she was okay with the Princess’s request. Minji turned her head to look at Yoohyeon and she sent the girl a small smile. “I’d like that,” Minji said softly, not sure if she was only agreeing because she knew she couldn’t say no, or if she actually liked the idea of having the Princess do her hair.

“Can you sit on the ground for me?” Yoohyeon opened her legs and pointed to the patch of grass in between them. 

Minji obeyed immediately, dropping to her knees in the soft grass. The woman felt long, slender fingers begin to comb through her hair. She had left it loose today, and as the Princess scratched her scalp gently, Minji was beginning to be grateful she was in a rush this morning and ran out of time to do anything with her hair. Minji closed her eyes at the feeling, subconsciously leaning into the touch.

“My mom used to always braid my hair…” Yoohyeon muttered almost inaudibly. She knew that Minji was obviously aware of what had happened to her mom, but she hadn’t brought her up to the other woman before. “And after she um – passed, I practiced braiding hair with some of the older servants in the castle so that I could braid Gahyeon’s hair. She still asks me to braid her hair sometimes,” the Princess let out a soft chuckle, “which I’m obviously happy to do, but my skills are nowhere near as good as the other servants we have…”

Minji just hummed in response, not sure what to say. She hadn’t met Princess Gahyeon yet, and she quite honestly was nervous to, but from the way Princess Yoohyeon talked about her, Minji could tell she cared for her sister a lot. 

The Princess finally stopped running her fingers through Minji’s hair and began braiding it into a long French braid down the other woman’s back.

“Do you have any siblings?” Yoohyeon asked once she realized Minji wasn’t going to say anything.

Minji paused and blinked away the stinging in her eyes that meant tears were forming. “Yes,” she answered briefly, hoping Yoohyeon wouldn’t ask any more questions. She still missed her twin every day, but was lucky to have SuA by her side. SuA could never replace her brother, but she was there for Minji when Jin died.

“How many?” 

“Just one…” Minji mumbled in response.

“Brother or sister?” The Princess pushed, not catching that Minji was being even shorter with her than usual.

“A brother…he’s dead though,” Minji stated.

Yoohyeon gasped under her breath. She had known Minji’s parents were dead and tried to not bring them up, but she hadn’t thought this would also be a sensitive topic for the woman sat in front of her.

“I’m so sorry, Minji,” Yoohyeon said softly, taking one of her hands and gently placing it on the woman’s shoulder, giving her a light squeeze.

“He died during the plague, just like your mother.”

“Oh,” the Princess breathed, “that’s terrible Minji. I’m so sorry. I know how hard the plague was for so many people in the kingdom.” The other woman didn’t say anything in return, so Yoohyeon went back to silently braiding Minji’s hair.

Minji chewed her lip absentmindedly. She was happy that the Princess dropped it, and hoped the woman wouldn’t bring up the family topic in the future. Minji had no plans of disclosing her close relationship with SuA or SuA’s parents. Even though she didn’t want to talk about them, her parents and brothers were a safe topic because the King couldn’t go after them. Minji was starting to feel a sliver of hope that the Princess meant her no harm, but she wouldn’t risk SuA or her family’s safety.

“It’s all done!” The Princess called cheerily once she had finished with the braid.

“Thank you, Princess,” Minji replied as she made a move to stand before she felt hands on her shoulders holding her in place.

“Wait, I have an idea…” the Princess said. “Stay here!” Yoohyeon commanded as she jumped up from the bench.

Minji saw the movement out of the corner of her eye. “Um, okay,” she mumbled, but nevertheless obeyed the Princess’s instruction.

A few moments later, the Princess returned with a few flowers in her hands. Minji had turned slightly so she could see the other woman. She looked from the flowers in her hands to the Princess’s face, and quirked an eyebrow in confusion.

“For your hair,” Yoohyeon mumbled nodding her head at the flowers. The Princess felt her cheeks blush a deep shade of red as Minji stared back at her, looking quite amused.

“Cute,” Minji murmured, too quietly for the Princess to hear.

The Princess sat back down on the bench looked at the small white flowers she had picked, waiting for Minji to turn around.

Minji smiled softly and faced her back to the Princess, silently giving Yoohyeon permission to add them to her hair. She felt the other woman gently adjusting her braid, entwining a few of the flowers into her hair.

“Okay, now it’s done,” the Princess said hesitantly as she admired her work. Yoohyeon had always thought Minji was gorgeous, but she looked so…delicate with the flowers in her hair that Yoohyeon couldn’t help but to internally swoon. “You look beautiful,” Yoohyeon blurted before she could stop herself.

“Thanks,” Minji said softly. The prisoner stood and sat herself on the bench next to Yoohyeon. She looked over at the Princess and smiled softly at the blush that was coloring her otherwise fair complexion.

Even though Yoohyeon was slightly embarrassed by her words, she held Minji’s gaze and smiled back at the older woman. “Well it’s true,” the Princess declared, trying to regain some of her confidence. Yoohyeon scolded herself for how shy she was around Minji. Yes, usually people fawned over her, and not the other way around, but she was still the Princess after all, and she should act like it.

Minji ducked her head, hiding a blush that was starting to show on her own cheeks. She wasn’t very used to receiving compliments on her appearance. Sure, SuA had jokingly called her hot before, but she had never really flirted, or been flirted with. Minji paused…was the Princess flirting with her? Or maybe she was just being nice, Minji thought. After all, Minji had no reason to think that the Princess was into women. Sure, homosexuality wasn’t necessarily forbidden in the kingdom, but it definitely wasn’t looked on too fondly by many either, at least not in the village. However, she remembered how open Shuhua had been about her feelings for Soojin, a female guard, so maybe things were different for those with power and status. After all, a servant in the castle was treated better than anyone living outside of the castle’s walls.

Princess Yoohyeon cleared her throat, trying to gain the other woman’s attention. “Should we head inside soon, Minji? We only have an hour or so before dinner.”

“That’s fine with me, Princess.”

“Okay, let’s go then,” Yoohyeon stood up, holding her hand out towards Minji to help the other girl stand. 

Minji took her hand, beginning to understand that the Princess consistently liked to be physically connected to Minji as much as possible, but especially when the pair were walking from one place of the castle to another. Though Minji was still somewhat hesitant in the Princess’s presence, she couldn’t help but smile widely up at the Princess as she pulled Minji up onto her feet. 

The pair made their way back to Princess Yoohyeon’s bedroom, where Handong had agreed to meet them when it was dinnertime. Upon arrival, Yoohyeon guided Minji into the room. The Princess made her way to sit on her bed, and patted the spot next to her gently, signaling for Minji to join her.

Minji held her breath as she made her way towards the bed. She had been in the Princess’s room plenty of times, but mostly with Handong…and she had never sat on the Princess’s bed. 

However, Minji’s nerves slowly dissipated, as the two simply engaged in light small talk for some time. 

The conversation was interrupted by a light knock at the door.  
“Come in!” Yoohyeon called.

The door creaked opened, revealing a refreshed and smiling Handong.

“Hi Princess. Minji,” Handong greeted the two women as she stood in the doorway. “It’s almost dinner, we should get going, Minji.”

“Alright,” Minji replied, glancing at the Princess briefly before joining Handong at the door. 

“By the way,” the Princess called as she let out a tiny yawn, “you two are relieved for the night. Yesterday my father mentioned that he needed to speak with me after dinner about uh – business matters,” Yoohyeon mumbled awkwardly. Yoohyeon had assumed he wanted to talk about any progress that had been made with Minji, but she didn’t necessarily want to say that in the front of the girl.

“Okay, have a good evening then, miss,” Handong bowed slightly.

“Yes, goodnight, Princess,” Minji stated politely before following a retreating Handong.

“Yes, I’ll see you both tomorrow, nine in the morning like usual!” The Princess called to them, smiling slightly. Yoohyeon sighed and fell back against her bed.

Today was a good day, the Princess thought. She got to spend some more one-on-one time with Minji, and she feels like she may have gotten the other woman to open up to her more, even if only marginally. Yoohyeon closed her eyes and smiled, dreaming about a future, hopefully soon, where her and Minji were close friends…or maybe even lovers. Yoohyeon chuckled, internally reminding herself that the latter was relatively unlikely, but she would continue to be optimistic.

A grumbling coming from her stomach interrupted Yoohyeon from her thoughts. The Princess sat up, remembering that she needed to meet with her family for dinner. She smoothed her dress and stopped to look in the mirror, adjusting her silver locks with her fingers. Yoohyeon then began to head towards the dining hall, humming softly to herself the entire way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How would we feel about maybe a Siyeon/SuA relationship?!? The main focus would still be Jiyoo of course, and I can’t promise that Siyeon/SuA would get serious (or work out in the end), but I know they’re a pretty popular ship!
> 
> Drop your thoughts in the comments!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can we take a minute to talk about Dreamcatcher's "Abracadabra" dance cover on M2?!? I nearly died watching it lol

Minji and Handong were currently peacefully eating dinner, with several other servants from the palace. Minji was sat at a small table next to Shuhua, Handong, and another female servant whose name she had not yet learned.

“So how was your day?” Shuhua asked in-between bites of her food, barely taking the time to finish chewing before talking.

“It was fine. The Princess and I visited the flower gardens,” Minji replied. She had gotten to eat dinner with Shuhua every night, and Minji was continuing to like the young woman more and more every time they interacted.

Shuhua laughed. “Well that explains the flowers,” Shuhua said pointing at the white blossoms in Minji’s hair.

“Yes, the Princess did it…” Minji muttered as she looked down at her plate, her cheeks blushing furiously.

“Cute,” Shuhua said smugly, eyeing Minji’s reaction. 

Handong raised a brow in Minji’s direction, as she had also noticed the color creeping up Minji’s neck and cheeks.

“What about you Handong? What did you do today?” Minji spoke, trying to divert the attention away from her.

“I took a nap,” Handong said, smiling brightly back at the other women. “What all did you and the Princess do, or talk about, Minji?” Handong tried to ask the question nonchalantly, but since she still hadn’t had a chance to see exactly where Yoohyeon’s head was at, she was hoping the Princess didn’t take advantage of her alone time with the prisoner.

“Nothing of much importance,” Minji said quickly, shoving another bite of food in her mouth. She didn’t really want to rehash the conversation surrounding her family she had with the Princess earlier that day and was hoping Handong wouldn’t push too much.

Handong eyed Minji suspiciously, but ultimately decided not to follow up on the topic. “Well, what do you want to do for the rest of the evening Minji? Now that we have the night off and everything…”

“You have the night off?” Shuhua cut in excitedly. “Me and Miyeon were going to hangout, you two should join us!” Shuhua nodded her head at the other woman at their table. 

Minji saw the other woman, who she assumed must have been Miyeon, scrunch her nose up slightly at the suggestion, but she nodded and agreed with Shuhua’s idea.

“I’m in,” Handong shrugged. She hadn’t spent much time with either Shuhua or Miyeon before Minji arrived, but the two servants were kind enough. Being Princess Yoohyeon’s personal servant could be kind of lonely sometimes, so any time she was able to spend with the other servants her age, she took. Her schedule was different than the other servants in the castle, so usually the only time she had with the other servants was at dinner and at night when everyone was headed to sleep. Most of the other servants were kind to her, but she did sense some animosity because of how quickly she was appointed to serve Yoohyeon directly. Many servants had no interest in being a servant to the Princess, especially with what had happened to Irene, but there was still a sense of hierarchy among the servants and Handong had jumped right to the top of it.

“Yay,” Shuhua squealed, looking pleadingly into Minji’s eyes. “How about you, Minji? I promise it will be fun.”

“Okay,” Minji smiled softly at the grinning Shuhua. 

Shuhua clapped her hands excitedly and began rambling on about all of things they could do that night. Minji just shook her head at the young girl’s enthusiasm, and rested her chin on her hand as she listened to the girl.

\--- --- --- --- 

Meanwhile, Yoohyeon was sat at a table with her father and Gahyeon. Gahyeon had been droning on and on about something for the past twenty minutes. Yoohyeon wasn’t quite sure what her little sister was talking about; she had zoned out several minutes earlier. It wasn’t that she didn’t care what Gahyeon had to say, but she was quite nervous about whatever it was her father wanted to speak to her about after dinner.

Once Gahyeon finally finished her story, she directed her attention over to Yoohyeon. “How was your day, Yooh?” Gahyeon asked sweetly. She had missed spending time with her sister these past few days. Gahyeon usually tried to see her sister everyday outside of dinner with the three of them, but with the new prisoner Yoohyeon was watching over, Gahyeon hadn’t gotten to see her sister much.

“It was nice,” Yoohyeon smiled at her sister before peeking over at her father. “I spent most of the day with Minji. I showed her around the flower gardens outside.” The Princess smiled, thinking back on how cute the other woman had looked with her braided hair.

“Oh, that sounds nice…How is she um, doing?” Gahyeon asked carefully. She had been briefly filled in on Minji’s arrival to the castle by her father, and was under the impression the woman was somewhat “unhinged,” or at least that’s how her father had described her.

Princess Yoohyeon glanced over at the King again. He had been quiet most of the dinner, only nodding and smiling occasionally at Gahyeon’s words, but he now seemed entirely focused on the conversation. “Good. She’s doing good,” Yoohyeon said vaguely, hoping that she would have the chance to talk about this with her father one-on-one. She smiled at Gahyeon, who was finishing up eating. Yoohyeon and the King had cleared their plates some time ago, but as usual Gahyeon was the last one to finish because she dominated the dinner conversation tonight like she always does.

“That’s good, Yoohyeon,” the King said, nodding his head briefly at his eldest daughter. “Actually, I was hoping to speak to you on the topic tonight…alone,” the King added as he raised a brow in Gahyeon’s direction.

“Oh,” the younger Princess exclaimed, “I’ll go ahead and excuse myself then. I was in need of a bath this evening anyway.” Gahyeon stood up, making her way towards the door. “Have a good night you both…” the Princess said as she sent one last smile at her sister and dad before making her way to her room.

“You too, sis,” Yoohyeon called.

When the door to dining room was once again closed, Yoohyeon redirected her attention back to her father, eager to start the conversation. The Princess bounced her foot impatiently underneath the table, not wanting to be the first of the two to say something.

“As I’m sure you’ve guessed, I wanted to speak with you about any potential…progress…that’s been made with Miss Kim,” the King said as he looked his daughter over carefully. “You’ve been with her for a few days now, and I just want to make sure everything is going okay.”

“I think things are going well,” Yoohyeon said hesitantly. “She hasn’t spoken much yet about the rebellion, but that’s to be expected. However, we talked about her family today, and I really think she’s beginning to open up to me, daddy.” The Princess smiled hopefully at her father.

The King nodded slowly, bringing his hand up to scratch at his chin. “That’s good to hear,” he said smiling slightly at Yoohyeon. 

“Right? I um…still think she’s a bit nervous around me, but I think within another week or so maybe I’ll be able to make her feel more comfortable,” Yoohyeon sighed, looking down at the table as she absentmindedly traced a heart onto it with her index finger. All the Princess had wanted at first was to get to spend some time with the very beautiful prisoner, but after hearing about her past from her father and getting to know Minji over the past few days, Yoohyeon was starting to genuinely care for the girl. 

“Yoohyeon…” the King said quietly, much softer than how he usually spoke. “We may have another problem.”

“What do you mean?” the Princess inquired as she snapped her head back up to look at her father.

“Well, as you know, Minji was led to believe that we were dangerous to the kingdom, and this belief is being pushed by a rebellion group.”

Yoohyeon nodded at her father’s words. She was well aware of how Minji came to be who she was, so she was uncertain where her father was going with this.

“And this rebellion group has grown tremendously since Minji’s arrest. The rebellion is being led by some very power hungry people, Minji’s parents once being two of those people. After her parents passed we know Minji took over a pretty large role in the rebellion, but we don’t know who else is involved…” 

“Are you worried this rebellion is a true threat then? Like how much support do they have?” Yoohyeon asked, eyes widening at the thought of a potential war.

“I’m afraid they may be becoming a legitimate threat, yes. Now obviously, we don’t want to rush things with Minji, but I need you to get her to open up, and soon, about the rebellion. Their plans. Who the leader is. Any weaknesses. Numbers. Basically, any details you can get.”

Yoohyeon nodded, chewing her lower lip nervously as she took in everything she was hearing.

“I don’t want to scare you, Yoohyeon, but you were right that it’s time you start getting involved in the running of our kingdom. You will be queen one day after all, and I believe working with this woman will help you learn what it takes to be a leader…” the King stated as he smiled at his daughter. He brought a hand up to his mouth as he let out a horse cough, before reaching for his water glass on the table.

“Are you alright, daddy?” Yoohyeon asked.

“Yes, Yoohyeon. I’m fine,” he waved his hand dismissively at his daughter’s concern. “But do you think you can do it? Get Minji to trust you and open up about the rebel group?”

Yoohyeon hesitated slightly. She was sure she could do it, but the situation sounded urgent, and the Princess figured it would take some time to get her to open up to someone she fears so deeply about plans to overthrow that same person. “I think I can,” Yoohyeon finally decided on saying. “I’ll need some time though, as I’m sure you know. I mean I can’t come right out and ask her about it, which means that we’ll need to go on her pace.” “Yes,” the King nodded, “but please do whatever you can to nudge her in the right direction. Whatever it takes to protect our family and the throne. Right?” “Of course,” the Princess agreed wholeheartedly as she nodded her head rapidly. “She seems comfortable with Handong, my personal servant, so maybe I could use her to help speed the process along,” Yoohyeon mused, hoping her father could hear how serious she was taking this responsibility.

“That could work. I have faith in you, my darling. I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”

“Thanks,” Yoohyeon smiled shyly over at her father. It wasn’t often she heard praise or her encouragement from him, and the Princess couldn’t deny how nice it felt. She had missed the father she knew as a small child, and she felt like she had caught a few glimpses of him these past few days. Yoohyeon knew how important this mission was for the kingdom. She needed to get this information out of Minji to protect herself and Gahyeon from the rebels, but Yoohyeon couldn’t help but also selfishly want to succeed so that she could make her father proud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always leave any thoughts in the comments! Reading them really motivates me to keep writing. Have a good weekend everyone :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait…but I’m finally back with another chapter :)

The day after next Siyeon found herself readying to leave the confinements of the castle’s walls to carry out this “inside man” mission from the King. Siyeon had spent a whole day learning as much as she could about SuA from the documented details on her already obtained by other castle guards, which was very little, and Wheein, which on the other hand was quite a lengthy file. 

After feeling as prepared as she could, Siyeon quickly debriefed with the King, who had once again emphasized the importance of succeeding in this mission to the head of the guard. Once the two were finished speaking, Siyeon was ushered to meet with one of the castle’s servants who had been tasked with getting Siyeon dressed in appropriate garb for her new identity as a commoner. She was now dressed in a plain, brown dress, with little to no makeup seeing as she was supposed to blend in. 

“We’re almost there, ma’am,” the guard in charge of making sure Siyeon arrived into the village safely announced.

“I’ve been to the village many times. I know where we’re headed,” Siyeon snapped as she suppressed an eye roll. She looked over at the young guard, Jungwoo she thought his name was, and raised a brow at him. Normally, she wouldn’t be so cold to someone who hadn’t done anything wrong, but she had been on edge all morning. While she understood the King’s reasoning for wanting intel on this SuA character, it didn’t mean Siyeon was necessarily happy to be doing it. However, she knew the King did trust her, or at least trusted that she was competent, and if there was anyone that could locate the head of the rebellion Siyeon knew she’d be the one to do it. 

“O-okay,” Jungwoo mumbled in response, head bowed low in embarrassment.

Siyeon let out a huff of annoyance. How old was the boy anyway? He couldn’t be any older than seventeen and though she hadn’t worked with him much, she wasn’t impressed by his presence.

The pair then continued their way to the village in an uneasy silence. 

Upon arrival, Jungwoo and Siyeon hung around the edges of the village, trying to make their way to Siyeon’s place of residence for the mission as quickly as possible. Siyeon had been informed she would be staying in a small, isolated house for the time being, which would hopefully give her a chance to spend some one-to-one time with SuA, or Wheein if need be. Once the two arrived at the coordinates the King provided them with, Siyeon let out an almost quiet whine. She had spent her whole life bathed in riches from her parents’ place in the guard, so now seeing she would be staying in what she could only describe as a shack, she was slightly disappointed.

Siyeon hadn’t even bothered asking how the King had gotten her the small cottage; it was probably best for her sanity if she didn’t know. She had assumed that whoever lived their prior was either kicked out or killed, the King was ruthless like that, Siyeon mused. Jungwoo opened the door, allowing Siyeon to make her way into the small dwelling first. Siyeon looked around at the space. She made her way to the couch located in the middle of the room, which had clearly seen better days. The woman ran her arm across the back of the burgundy colored piece of furniture, sneering at how dirty it looked.

“Alright, miss. I should be heading back,” Jungwoo said as he nervously wrung his hands together. “Did you need anything else before I leave?” “No, I think I’m good to go here,” Siyeon said as she plastered a tight smile onto her face, looking briefly at the young man.

“Okay,” Jungwoo nodded, “just a reminder I’ll be back in three days for an update. The King expects that you’ll have useful information for him by –“

“I’m well aware of what the King expects from me,” Siyeon cut the boy off, glaring slightly in his direction before making her way to the kitchen, leaving Jungwoo to find his own way out. 

“Alright…” Siyeon heard the guard mumble before the sound of a door closing gently followed a few moments later, letting Siyeon know Jungwoo had made his departure. 

The woman let out a deep sigh as she rummaged through the cabinets. As promised by the King, it appeared the place was stocked with everything she would need for at least the next few weeks. Good, Siyeon thought. She needed all of her focus to be able to be on befriending SuA and it would be harder to do that if she needed to worry about buying food or anything else she could need during her stay inside the village.

Siyeon reached into her pocket and pulled out a watch, seeing that it was a little after eleven in the morning. Perfect. This morning during their debrief, the King informed Siyeon that after tailing SuA for the past week or so, they had learned that she spent most of her afternoon in the markets, working at the stands selling goods. Siyeon figured there was no better time to start than now, so she quickly found the bedroom, which wasn’t hard considering the only other room in the cottage was a bathroom, and she dropped off a small bag of personal belongings before making her way to the town square.

It was a weird experience for Siyeon. As she walked through the streets into the more populated parts of the kingdom, she noticed that almost everyone paid no attention to her. Siyeon had momentarily forgotten she wasn’t dressed in her uniform and conducting rounds as the guard. Usually, people would cower in fear as she walked past, or they would politely nod and bow in hopes of keeping on her good side, so to almost feel invisible was a new scenario for Siyeon. Someone, a young man, had bumped into her as she was walking along the street, and she had to bite back a snarky comment. Instead, Siyeon simply curled her hands into fists at her side, as she continued her way towards the marketplace. After her anger faded, Siyeon chuckled at how short of a temper she had. It was actually one of the reasons she believed she was so good at being the head of the royal guard, but as a commoner, she would have to try and be…nicer to people, especially this SuA girl. 

After what felt like an eternity, Siyeon reached the marketplace and glanced around hoping to spot SuA. The place was crowded, so she had to get on her tip toes to see over and around the sea of people out during the warm day. She had a solid idea of what the woman looked like, seeing as this was the person who had revealed Minji as the daughter of the Kim’s and she had also been shown a rough sketch during the briefing this morning. However, as Siyeon continued to look around she didn’t see the woman. 

Siyeon walked from one stall of the market to the next, searching for a short woman with dark hair, but there seemed to plenty of those running around inside the kingdom. The guard huffed in annoyance. She had been at this for almost an hour now, and she had walked past nearly all of the stalls. Maybe there was a chance she wouldn’t be at work today, Siyeon wondered. She let out a humorless chuckle. That would sure throw a wrench in her plans. After spending a few moments debating her next steps, she felt her stomach grumble, and decided maybe she should take a break to grab lunch. 

Siyeon went to turn around when she suddenly felt a body collide with hers. She was knocked back a step or two, but the offender had gotten the worse of the collision. Siyeon looked down at the woman, small in stature, as she laid sprawled on the cobblestone, pieces of fruit rolling around from the basket she had dropped. The guard raised a brow as she slowly bent down to grab an apple that had rolled to a stop by her feet. As she did so, she noticed the woman looking back at her looked a lot like SuA. Siyeon bit back a smirk, hoping that she had finally found her target.

“Are you okay?” Siyeon asked with mock concern. She laid a gentle hand on the woman’s shoulder as she peered into her eyes.

“I should be the one asking you that!” The woman, presumably SuA, exclaimed as she pulled herself up into a sitting position.

Siyeon flinched slightly, not expecting such a loud, piercing voice to come from the small body.

“I’m sorry,” the small woman followed up sheepishly.

Siyeon smiled at her warmly. “It’s quite alright. Here let me help you gather your fruits,” the woman offered as she started to collect the loose food items on the ground.

“Thanks,” the woman mumbled.

“No problem,” Siyeon said as she placed the last piece of fruit in the woman’s basket. “I’m Siyeon by the way.” The guard extended her hand out to the smaller woman before her to help her to her feet.

“Oh, I’m SuA,” the other woman stated as she took her first good look at Siyeon. SuA couldn’t help but admire the other woman’s beauty. She had long hair that framed her structured face beautifully, and she wondered how she had never noticed the other woman before. Surely they hadn’t met, SuA would have remembered someone this gorgeous. 

Siyeon inwardly congratulated herself as she pulled SuA up to her feet. “So where were you headed, SuA?”

“I was just taking these to a stand,” SuA lifted the basket on her arm, gesturing towards the fruit. “Speaking of which, I should probably get going.” “Let me accompany you,” Siyeon offered. “It’s the least I could do for causing you such a delay.” Siyeon brought her hand to her chest as put on her brightest smile.

“Oh, that’s really alright,” SuA dismissed, “after all I was the one that ran into you.” She hung her head low, momentarily breaking eye contact with the woman stood in front of her. SuA had been so busy between work and organizing with Wheein these past few days that she hadn’t spent much time with anyone her age. Actually, other than Minji, SuA hadn’t spent much time at all with those her age, much less a beautiful woman that seemed to spark a feeling within SuA that she hadn’t experienced in quite some time. 

“Please, I insist. I have no commitments this afternoon and was actually looking to buy some fresh produce today, so I’ll need to head that way anyway.” Siyeon smiled at SuA, both to make sure she would let Siyeon tag along and because Siyeon was proud of her improvised lie.

“Well, okay,” SuA smiled shyly up at the woman before starting to head over to her stand. “So, Siyeon…I’ve never seen you around before. Do you come here often?” SuA froze as soon as the words passed her lips. She had not intended for the question to come off as a cheesy pickup line, and she hoped that wasn’t how Siyeon would take it. 

Siyeon laughed wholeheartedly. She looked over at SuA and shook her head slightly. “Well, I’ve lived here my whole life and never seen you either, so I could ask you the same thing,” Siyeon drawled as she smirked down at her companion. She couldn’t be entirely certain, but she thought she saw a blush appear on SuA’s cheeks earlier. Siyeon had had little to no practice with flirting, or being flirted with, so she hoped she hadn’t misinterpreted SuA’s mannerisms, or her words, but she suspected that the small woman at least found Siyeon attractive. Siyeon decided to take that as an opportunity to build a faster connection to SuA, after all if SuA was into her it would make Siyeon’s job of extracting information a hell of a lot easier.

“Yeah, I – uh guess that’s fair,” SuA mumbled as she blushed furiously at the smirk Siyeon wore that was aimed at her. 

“So, you work at a fruit stand you said? That sounds exciting,” Siyeon commented trying to get SuA to hopefully open up more.

“It’s not,” SuA chuckled lightly as she shrugged her shoulders, “but it puts food on the table for my family.”

“Completely understandable,” Siyeon nodded. And it was true, she did understand. Had it not been for the wealth that came with being a member of the guard, or the terrible mistreatment that came with not being one, she probably wouldn’t be doing the job she does either.

The two women continued to make small talk as they finished walking to the fruit stand. Siyeon learned absolutely nothing useful, and SuA couldn’t stop the irritating butterflies in her stomach, so neither woman was necessarily pleased with the way the conversation was going. Upon arrival SuA turned and said an awkward goodbye to Siyeon. 

Siyeon knew she needed to continue to squeeze whatever information possible out of this woman, so before thinking about it she had blurted, “Why don’t you come to my place for dinner tonight?” SuA raised a brow in slight disbelief, a bit taken aback by the bold offer.

“Please, I uh – just moved out from my parents’ and I’ve been really lonely the past few weeks,” Siyeon added desperately as she noticed the surprise on SuA’s face.

“Oh, well then I would love to come for dinner,” SuA said as she smiled at Siyeon.

“Perfect,” Siyeon exclaimed, “I live just on the outskirts of town, but maybe it would be best if we met here and walked there together.”

“Y-yes, that sounds good,” SuA stuttered as she continued looking into Siyeon’s stunning eyes.

“Alright, well I’ll meet you here at say… five thirty?”  
SuA simply nodded in response.  
“Sounds good, I’ll see you in a few hours then, SuA,” Siyeon bowed slightly as she began to leave the other woman to her work.

“Okay!” SuA squeaked out. 

Siyeon grinned as she walked away from the stand. That had been easier than she thought it would be. Now she just needed to prepare for their dinner tonight. Things were looking good for Siyeon and she was beginning to think she could actually provide the King with some useful information regarding the rebellion.

Meanwhile, SuA stared at Siyeon’s retreating form in a state of shock. Had she really just been invited to dinner by that woman? Was this…a date? SuA didn’t want to get her hopes up. Hell, it was unlikely Siyeon was even into women, let alone into her. Uncertainty swirled around in SuA’s brain, but the one thing she was sure of was that Siyeon was fucking hot, and she couldn’t wait for that dinner tonight, date or not.

\--- --- --- --- 

A few hours later SuA found herself stood back by her stand, waiting for Siyeon to arrive. She was nervously twirling a loose strand of her braided hair around her finger, trying not to overthink everything. Part of her felt selfish for taking this time for herself, with Minji still gone and the likeliness that she wasn’t doing great, but she had been lonely. Yes, she had her parents and was starting to become closer to Wheein because of their work within the rebellion, but she missed having a friend.

She checked her pocket watch for what felt like the millionth time since she’d been standing there. Excited about dinner, SuA had arrived fifteen minutes early, and was starting to wish she hadn’t. Her clock read five twenty-five, which meant it could still be some time before Siyeon arrives. SuA glanced around, looking at all the people milling around the marketplace. She made her way to a bench right next to her stand and took a seat. Hopefully sitting down would help her to calm down some.

Just when SuA was beginning to think Siyeon wouldn’t show, she saw the other girl in the distance. SuA immediately hopped up from the bench and began skipping happily towards Siyeon. Siyeon smiled back at her, waving at the smaller woman.

“Hey,” SuA said once the pair was stood face to face.

“Hi,” Siyeon echoed. “Are you ready to go?” Siyeon asked as she held out her arm for SuA to take. SuA just nodded in response and looped her arm through Siyeon’s outstretched one.

“How was your day?” Siyeon inquired while the pair began to head away from the town square and towards the outskirts of the village.

“It was good. Pretty boring after you left though,” SuA said cheekily. 

Siyeon let out a little laugh and peered down at the woman on her arm. Maybe this mission wouldn’t be so bad, she thought to herself. The woman seemed kind enough, and she was surprisingly pleasant to be around. Hopefully SuA felt similarly about Siyeon; that would make everything much easier for her.

“Well, hopefully the rest of your evening is more…entertaining,” Siyeon joked as she led SuA down an isolated path that would bring them to her cottage.

SuA glanced around at their surroundings. Siyeon had mentioned she lived on the outskirts of the village, but SuA wouldn’t have imagined it was this isolated. Had she not been such a trusting person, that and her background in combat, SuA might have been nervous about meeting here with someone she barely knew. However, instead of feeling scared, SuA was shaking with excitement.

“Here we are!” Siyeon smiled as she stopped the pair on the front steps of a small dwelling laid in the middle of a beautiful meadow inside of the forest. The woman guided SuA inside.

“Feel free to keep your shoes on,” Siyeon said, waving her hand dismissively at SuA who had begun to remove her flats.

“Oh, alright…” SuA shrugged, following Siyeon into the kitchen.

“Go ahead and make yourself comfortable,” Siyeon pointed towards the table, signaling SuA should take a seat. “I’ll just need a few minutes to prepare dinner.”

“Do you need any help?” SuA offered, going to stand by Siyeon who was rinsing her hands, her back towards SuA.

“No, that’s quite alright,” Siyeon declined the offer. She turned around to send a flirty smile SuA’s direction. “I invited you to dinner, and as my guest, you’re not to lift a finger. Now sit your cute ass down and let me do my thing,” Siyeon ordered as she pulled some ingredients out of the cupboard.

SuA backed away, not quite knowing how to respond to that. Instead she sat herself down at the table and cleared her throat awkwardly. “So, tell me about yourself,” SuA said. SuA saw Siyeon shrug her shoulders.

“Not much to tell. I’ve lived here since I was a baby. I just moved out of my parents’ house. No siblings. I’m twenty-four,” Siyeon paused, scratching her chin as she tried to think of what else to add. “Oh, and I have an apprenticeship with the local blacksmith.” It obviously wasn’t the truth, but Siyeon had needed a credible backstory, and figured with her history in the guard, she had enough knowledge of the field to play an apprentice.

“Wow, that sounds like an exciting job. At least more so than selling fruit in the market.”

“Yeah, it has its pros and cons,” Siyeon shrugged, returning her attention back to the food momentarily. “Dinner’s almost ready,” Siyeon exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “If you want to wash up beforehand feel free to use the restroom. It’s the door on the left.” “Okay, thanks!” SuA bowed slightly at the other woman before making her way to the bathroom.

While SuA was away, Siyeon quickly set the table and made each of them a plate of the food she had prepared.

SuA came back a few minutes later and retook her seat, thanking Siyeon for dinner.

“It’s truly no problem. Like I said, I’m lonely…” Siyeon sent SuA what she hoped to be a sad smile. She paused momentarily to stare into SuA’s brown eyes, which were returning her gaze. “Anyways, your turn to tell me about you. Who is SuA?” Siyeon asked as she placed her arm on the table to rest her chin in her hand.

SuA lowered her head slightly, trying to hide the blush she felt forming. Why did she have to find this woman so damn charming? 

Siyeon just stared back at the woman expectantly. Sure, she didn’t think SuA would open with, well I’m SuA and I’m part of the rebellion hoping to overthrow the King. Do you want to know how we’re going to do it? But she couldn’t help but hope that SuA would at least give her something useful.

“Well, my name is Kim SuA. I’ve also lived here my whole life. I’m twenty-one and still live with my parents, but selling fruit doesn’t exactly give me enough money to buy a home of my own,” SuA mumbled sheepishly as she rubbed her hand across the back of her neck. “I also don’t have any siblings…or at least not any blood siblings.”

Siyeon instantly perked up at that comment, hoping she was referencing Kim Minji. 

SuA went quiet as she took a bite of the food. “Wow, that’s wonderful,” she complimented, going back in for a second bite.

“Thank you,” Siyeon smiled back at the woman, taking a bite of her own dinner. She mulled over SuA’s words, trying to find a way to get her to open up about Minji. That, at least, seemed like an attainable goal for the night. “When you mentioned you didn’t have any blood siblings, that made me think about my friend. She was like a sister to me. Her name’s Yoobin. We grew up together as our families worked at the same place, so we spent every waking moment together. I feel like even though we aren’t blood related, I would call her my sister. Do you also have someone in your life like that?”

“Yes, I do,” SuA smiled over at Siyeon sadly. “Tell me more about Yoobin,” SuA not so subtly redirected the attention back to Siyeon, not wanting to have to think about Minji at the moment.

Siyeon internally cursed, annoyed that SuA wasn’t talking about Minji yet, since she was confident that was the person she was referring to. Siyeon looked into the distance, trying to appear as if she was thinking of what to say about Yoobin. And she was, but she was simply trying to conjure a story that would gain SuA’s trust. After a few moments, a light bulb went off in Siyeon’s head, and her lip twitched up almost unnoticeably into a smirk.

“Well, we were best friends. She was, and in many ways still is, my favorite person,” Siyeon paused as she tried to conjure up a few faux tears. “You see, she was um, recruited I guess you could say, into the royal guard a few years ago,” Siyeon grimaced, “and I’m sure you know how that goes. I haven’t seen her recently. Every now and then I’ll see her patrolling the village, but she just looks right through me, as if I mean nothing to her…” Siyeon trailed off as she chewed her lower lip, lowering her head to look at her food. She absentmindedly moved the remaining bites of food around with her fork, trying not to let out a laugh at her story. 

SuA looked at the woman across from her sympathetically. She reached a hand across the table to grasp Siyeon’s free hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“I know how you feel…and I’m so sorry that happened to you,” SuA said gently. Siyeon lifted her head to look into SuA’s eyes, and SuA sent an encouraging smile back to the woman.

Siyeon wiped a single tear she had managed to create from her cheek, mouthing a small thank you to SuA.

SuA sighed, debating whether she should open up to the crying woman in front of her. Once again, her trusting and comforting side won out, and she chose to disclose her connection to Minji. After all, it was no secret to many the two were close, considering they travelled everywhere together before Minji’s arrest.

“I also grew up with someone who isn’t blood. Her name is Minji and she was recently taken into custody by the guard. Minji’s parents were executed a few years back, and Minji had been living with me and my parents ever since,” SuA disclosed as her own eyes began to tear up slightly. “We spent our childhood’s together too…her brother was even my first kiss,” SuA let out a nostalgic sigh as she thought back to her and Jin sharing a shy kiss in her backyard at only six years old. It was a sweet moment, that is until Minji saw them and began screaming at Jin that SuA was her best friend and if anyone was getting to kiss SuA it would be Minji. SuA smiled briefly at the memory before she was brought back to the present by Siyeon gently rubbing the back of her hand.

“That’s awful,” Siyeon gasped, “I’m so sorry. I would do anything to get Yoobin back, so I can’t even imagine how you feel. And Yoobin went there on her own free will…well I guess with as much free will as one has with this royal family” Siyeon scoffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest and leaning back against her chair. Though she had said it to hopefully prove to the woman across from her she was as “disgusted” with the King as SuA was, Siyeon couldn’t also help but admit it was true. Her and Dami had essentially been born into the guard, and even if they had wanted to, they could have never refused a role in the royal guard without consequences from the King. 

“Yeah, she’s uh…I don’t know. I guess I just hope Minji is even still alive. I would give anything to see her again. To tell her I love her again, you know?” SuA shrugged as she smiled halfheartedly at Siyeon. Damn, SuA thought, here she was with a beautiful woman and Minji was still the only thing on her mind.

“You think there’s a chance she’s not alive?” Siyeon gasped, bringing a hand to her chest.

“I mean, I’m not sure. There hasn’t been an execution set, but I personally see no reason the King keeps her alive.”

Me either, Siyeon agreed silently. “Wow, that’s scary,” Siyeon instead chose to voice.

“I know, but hopefully she will be okay. She needs to be,” SuA said adamantly, not sure if she was saying it to convince Siyeon or to calm herself.

“Well, I didn’t mean to make this dinner so…heavy, but I hope you’re still having a good time?” Siyeon asked hopefully, praying the other woman would still want to spend more time with her. She sensed that SuA did know something about the rebellion, but Siyeon felt like she had pushed her luck enough for one night. Siyeon now wanted to spend the rest of their evening together just simply getting to know the other girl better so she could continue to build some sort of trust between them.

SuA, who had been staring off into nothing, refocused on Siyeon. She tried to quell the tears threatening to fall and smiled at the older woman. “Yes, I am having a great time. It’s been nice to talk about it with someone actually…The food was great by the way,” SuA gestured to her clean plate and sent another warm smile in Siyeon’s direction.

“Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’ve enjoyed getting to know you”

The two continued to talk for some time. Siyeon learned that SuA loved to dance and she would often spend most of her free time learning new routines or practicing new skills. Siyeon also disclosed her interest in the arts, but more of the hands on skills rather than performing. She had always been interested in painting and sculpting, and thought talking about that would further support her whole blacksmith lie. 

Before SuA knew it, she had agreed to meeting up with Siyeon at the town square for lunch the following day. Siyeon had offered to prepare a picnic for the two of them. Around seven thirty, SuA decided to head out. Since it was summer it was still light out, and she wanted to make sure she made it home before nightfall. 

“Goodbye, SuA. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow,” Siyeon said as she walked SuA to the door. 

“I can’t wait. Once again, thanks for the dinner. You have a lovely home.” Before SuA could stop herself she stepped forward and wrapped Siyeon into a hug. 

Siyeon, although at first a bit taken aback, returned the hug, wrapping her arms around the shorter woman’s shoulders. She smiled to herself as she laid her cheek against the top of SuA’s head, pleased with the progress she had made in just one day.

SuA reluctantly released Siyeon. She backed away and played with her sleeves shyly, smiling up at Siyeon. “Goodbye, Siyeon. Have a good evening,” SuA said as she bowed slightly before making her way out the door.

Siyeon watched as SuA walked away. Once SuA was out of her line of sight, Siyeon closed the door, making sure to lock it behind her. The woman let out a little happy dance before making her way to her new bedroom. Siyeon got ready for bed and laid down, thinking about how she was going to get the smaller woman to open up to her even more tomorrow. Sleep didn’t come easy, with being in an unfamiliar place and all, but Siyeon was eventually able to get some rest, knowing she would need it for another big day tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so here’s some Suayeon action. Just a reminder that Siyeon and Dami (and Yoohyeon to an extent) have been constructed as villains for this story, so yeah…be prepared to be disappointed by Siyeon as I’m sure many of you already are with this chapter.
> 
> I actually wrote much of the next chapter before even starting this one, so hopefully I’ll be back with that update in a few days :)


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Saturday! Reminder to please vote for Dreamcatcher on Choeaedol :)

Over the past few days Minji, Handong, and Yoohyeon had fallen into a familiar pattern. The three of them would still spend every morning together for breakfast, and then afterwards Handong would make herself scarce, per the Princess’s request, so that her and Minji would have more alone time together. Minji had continued to grow more comfortable around the Princess. Did she trust the woman? Not even close. But she no longer worried about the shock collar around her neck, for there hadn’t been any physical pain inflicted upon her since she had been sent to stay with Princess Yoohyeon. 

Princess Yoohyeon and Minji were currently sitting in Yoohyeon’s room, talking about Yoohyeon’s drawings. The Princess loved having someone to talk about one of her passions with, even if the other person was essentially forced to sit and listen to her. However, Yoohyeon felt like she was making some progress with the other girl. She even noticed Minji smiling at her a few times when she thought Yoohyeon’s attention was elsewhere. Though the pair still had yet to discuss much about Minji’s past, particularly about Minji’s involvement in the rebellion, Yoohyeon was starting to think the girl may open up to her soon.

“Knock knock!” A loud voice bellowed from outside Yoohyeon’s room, accompanied by a pounding on the door. Minji startled slightly at the loud noise, but quickly calmed when she looked over at the Princess who had a huge smile plastered across her face as she instructed whoever was outside to come in.

Moments later the door opened and Minji saw a flash of pink fly across the room before colliding with Yoohyeon who was sat on the bed.

“Hi Yooh,” Gahyeon grinned as she wrapped Yoohyeon into a hug. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“What do you mean?” Yoohyeon chuckled as she ruffled the younger girl’s hair. “I just saw you yesterday at dinner…” The older Princess pulled Gahyeon away from her so she could look into the younger one’s eyes.

“I know,” Gahyeon sighed, “but daddy was there.” She crinkled her nose lightly as she pouted up at Yoohyeon. “It’s been so long since I’ve gotten to just be with you,” Gahyeon said cutely as she shrugged her shoulders slightly.

“You’re right, and I’m sorry about that. I’ve just been um – busy…” Yoohyeon trailed off as she awkwardly glanced over to Minji who was sitting silently at the Princess’s desk.

Minji looked at the pair sat on the bed. She had yet to meet the other Princess, and though she had been nervous to, this girl seemed harmless enough as she lay cuddling against Yoohyeon.

Seeing her sister’s gaze focus on something behind her, Gahyeon turned slightly in the older Princess’s arms until she was looking into Minji’s eyes. Gahyeon had almost forgotten about her sister’s extra companion, so having seen Handong walking around the halls earlier, the girl had assumed Yoohyeon was alone when she had made her way to her sister’s room.

The young Princess studied Minji carefully. Eyes trailing from the chains on her wrists to the shy smile she was wearing. Gahyeon squinted her eyes slightly as she nuzzled closer into her sister’s embrace. The woman didn’t seem as scary as her father had described her, but she didn’t necessarily feel safe around her either.

Yoohyeon pried herself away from Gahyeon to make her way across the room to stand by Minji. She laid a gentle hand on Minji’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“Gahyeon, I want you to meet Minji. Minji, this is my baby sister Gahyeon,” Yoohyeon smiled brightly, excited for her favorite person to meet someone she was beginning to care about. 

“Hello, Princess. It’s nice to meet you,” Minji said as she gave the pink haired girl a friendly smile. 

Gahyeon glanced between her sister and Minji. She noticed how lovingly Yoohyeon was looking at Minji, and the younger Princess decided she would try and give the prisoner a chance. After all, if Yoohyeon liked her, there was a pretty good chance she would too, Gahyeon thought.

“Hi, Minji. I’ve been wanting to meet you for quite some time, but my sister has been keeping you all to herself,” Gahyeon joked as she stood from the bed to make her way towards the other two women. She extended her hand out for Minji to shake and gave her a cute smile.

Minji reached her hand out to Gahyeon and took it in her grasp. She couldn’t help but notice how small and soft the younger Princess’s hand was. Minji smiled softly at the younger girl. She was cute, Minji thought. Had she not been dragged here against her will, and the girl standing in front of her was just an average girl instead of a Princess, Minji thought the two would be good friends. Gahyeon had bright eyes; Minji noticed they glowed with an innocence that both Minji herself and Yoohyeon lacked. She was still uncertain of Yoohyeon’s role in the kingdom, but she would guess that Gahyeon was still too young to truly grasp how terrible her father was. 

“What were you two up to?” Gahyeon asked as she plopped down on the edge of Yoohyeon’s bed, swinging her bare feet back and forth excitedly. “Hopefully I didn’t interrupt,” the young girl whispered as she sent an admiring gaze at her older sister.

“No! Not at all! I was just showing Minji some of my drawings,” Yoohyeon smiled, blushing lightly at the mention of her artwork.

“Oh, that’s exciting. Do you draw, Minji?” Gahyeon asked as she sent another wide smile at the prisoner.

Minji noticed that Gahyeon’s gaze kept flickering from her face to the chains around her wrists, and thought the younger girl wore a wide smile, Minji sensed some apprehension in her eyes. “No, definitely not. I have no artistic bones in my body,” Minji chuckled.

“I’m sure that’s not true,” Yoohyeon said kindly as she moved to stand behind the older woman, massaging her shoulders gently. “And even if it was, you can cook, which is arguably a much more useful skill!”

A few days prior, Minji would have jumped at the physical contact, but she had grown somewhat used to the Princess’s friendly touches. Yoohyeon was always holding Minji’s hand, playing with her hair, or just leaning against Minji as the pair walked around the castle, so Minji was no longer shocked when it happened. In fact, Minji might dare and say she almost enjoyed the physical affection. Being locked in the dungeon and being physically abused by the King and some of his guards had left Minji feeling so alone, so the gentle touches were comforting to her in a way.

“You can cook?!” Gahyeon gasped, hopping up from her seated position on the bed. “That’s so cool…”

“Thanks,” Minji said, blushing slightly. “Princess Yoohyeon has mentioned that maybe I should cook for her sometime, and maybe I could cook a meal for all three of us one day,” the older woman suggested as she subconsciously leaned into Yoohyeon’s hands still placed on her shoulders.

“I would love that!” Gahyeon gushed. “Yooh always says what a great cook mother was, and I wish that she had been around to teach me…” Gahyeon paused, chewing her lip nervously. “Maybe, um – maybe you could teach me sometime?” The younger Princess glanced at Minji hopefully, lifting her lips into a hesitant smile.

“Sure,” Minji agreed easily, giving the younger girl a nod of her head.

Gahyeon clapped her hands together excitedly, practically hopping up and down on the balls of her feet. 

Yoohyeon watched as the two women conversed. She was happy the pair were getting along, but she couldn’t help but notice how warm Minji was to her sister. It had taken days for Yoohyeon to be able to get Minji to even smile genuinely at her, and Gahyeon had managed to get Minji smiling and laughing in a matter of a few minutes. The Princess felt herself reflexively tighten her grip on Minji’s shoulders, digging her nails into Minji’s skin ever so slightly.

Minji instantly felt her posture straighten at the pressure she felt on her shoulders. It was a small change, and the action wasn’t painful per say, put it still put the woman on high alert. What had she done wrong? Minji instantly worried she had angered the Princess, so she tilted her head back to look up at Yoohyeon.

Not even a second after Yoohyeon had strengthened her grip, she realized what she had done. The Princess immediately dropped her hands from Minji’s shoulders, instead dropping her hands to her sides. She looked down at Minji who was now looking at her. Yoohyeon instantly noticed the slight fear that Minji’s eyes held. The Princess internally scolded herself. What had she been doing? Was she really jealous over her baby sister? Yes, she was, Yoohyeon thought bitterly. The Princess let out a huff, worried that this small mistake might make it take even longer for Minji to open up to her. Yoohyeon redirected her attention to Gahyeon, but was relieved to see she hadn’t noticed the tension, considering she was still celebrating at the thought of Minji teaching her to cook. The older Princess cleared her throat before speaking, “I think that’s a wonderful idea, sis. The two of us haven’t eaten lunch, so maybe the three of us could head to the kitchen now.” Yoohyeon paused to look down at Minji, and gave her what she hoped was a soft, kind smile. “What do you think, Minji? Are you up for making us lunch with Gahyeon? Clearly she’s very excited,” Yoohyeon laughed at how giddy Gahyeon looked. 

“I – I yes, I think that’s a great idea!” Minji squeaked, trying to hide how nervous she was.

As soon as the words left Minji’s mouth, both Minji and Yoohyeon were being pulled by an exuberant Gahyeon towards the kitchen. 

The next hour or so was spent with Minji patiently explaining to Gahyeon all the steps to make a simple meal. The younger Princess was fully focused on everything Minji said, often verbally repeating the instructions Minji gave as she guided Gahyeon through the process. 

Yoohyeon, unlike her sister, had no interest in learning to cook. Not that the Princess thought she was above it necessarily, but she had always had people to do these things for her and Yoohyeon didn’t see the point in doing work if she didn’t have to. Instead, she watched from the background, where she was leaned against the doorframe. The Princess smiled at the two women, who were currently cutting vegetables. She smiled at how kind Minji was with Gahyeon. Yoohyeon couldn’t help but selfishly think about what a great wife, no – what a great Queen Minji would be. She was kind, and generous, and sweet…all the things Yoohyeon felt she lacked. Yoohyeon couldn’t be certain, but she had wondered if that was her father’s intention with “gifting” Minji to her. After all, if Yoohyeon was able to tame a vital member of this violent rebellion, that would prove to her father that she was capable of ruling. And if Minji was then introduced to the kingdom as being betrothed to Yoohyeon it would likely quell the rebellion, showing the two sides could work together.

“You’re doing amazing, Princess Gahyeon. Are you sure you haven’t cooked before?” Minji praised as she gave Gahyeon’s arm a gentle squeeze. “And, we’re all done! Now for the best part…eating the food.”

“Thanks,” Gahyeon blushed slightly at the compliment, lowering her head to gaze at her feet.

The three then made their way to the table, which had been set by another castle maid while the two women cooked.

“Thanks for lunch you two. I’m excited!” Yoohyeon said as she pulled a chair out for Minji, signaling she take a seat, before she found her way to her own chair.

The three ate their meals in mostly silence. There was some small talk, and praises from Yoohyeon about how good the food is, but each woman was mainly focused on the food in front of them.

Once the three had finished, Gahyeon once again thanked Minji for teaching her. She even made the older woman promise that they would cook together again sometime, to which Minji had easily agreed.

“Sorry to eat and run, but I actually have plans,” Gahyeon said as she smiled sheepishly, purposefully avoiding her older sister’s eyes.

“Let me guess. Jungwoo?” Yoohyeon smirked at the smaller girl who was now standing by the table beside them.

“Yes, Yooh…but I promise it’s nothing,” Gahyeon whined as she sent her sister puppy dog eyes.

“Alright, whatever you say,” Yoohyeon rolled her eyes slightly. “Just be safe. I love you.” Yoohyeon smiled at her sister. While she did still feel overly protective of her little sister, Yoohyeon couldn’t deny that Gahyeon was growing up, and it was only a matter of time before Gahyeon began experimenting in the same ways she had.

“I love you too, sis. And it was nice meeting you, Minji,” Gahyeon said as she made her way out of the room, leaving Minji and Yoohyeon alone again.

Yoohyeon shook her head, chuckling to herself slightly once Gahyeon was out of earshot.

“What was that about?” Minji enquired, looking over at Yoohyeon.

“Just a boy Gahyeon likes. She insists they’re just friends, but I know what a lovesick puppy looks like, and Gahyeon is one for that boy…” Yoohyeon trailed off, her smile dropping slightly.

“Young love? That’s cute,” Minji smiled at Yoohyeon, hoping things wouldn’t be awkward after the little incident in the bedroom earlier.

“It is…I just don’t want Gahyeon to get hurt.”

“Why would she get hurt, Princess?”  
Yoohyeon sighed. “I’m not sure she will, but I don’t know this boy, and he’s a member of the guard,” the Princess’s lips curled up slightly at the word, “and I don’t trust him farther than I can throw him.”

Minji couldn’t help but smile at Yoohyeon’s words. She could tell that she genuinely cared about her sister, and Minji found it sweet.

“But it is what it is,” Yoohyeon shrugged. “She’s fifteen now, and she can’t be my baby sister forever, even if I wish she could…”

“Makes sense why you’re worried then. I’m assuming this is Princess Gahyeon’s first time showing interest in a boy?” Minji asked as she turned in her chair to face the Princess, who then mirrored her action.

“Yes, and I just know how…manipulative people can be. I don’t want her getting hurt because of a stupid boy,” Yoohyeon scoffed, crossing her arms across her chest.

“H-have you been hurt before?” Minji stuttered, worried that she may be crossing a line.

Yoohyeon gazed past Minji for a moment. Love had hurt her, but it was never a lover’s fault. She had ended things with every person she had been with, aside from Irene. However, Irene had been taken from her by her father, and that had hurt Yoohyeon deeply. Even though it wasn’t Irene’s fault, she couldn’t help but be hurt that the woman had never even tried to reach out to her. Sure, it was likely Irene had been banned from the castle, but Yoohyeon had thought the two were in love, and she had thought Irene would have fought more for their relationship.

“Princess?” Minji called hesitantly after Yoohyeon had appeared to enter a daydream state.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that I’ve been hurt by love before,” Yoohyeon smiled at Minji sadly, hoping the woman wouldn’t push for more information.

“I’m sorry,” Minji said softly as she reached her hand out to hold the Princess’s gently.

Yoohyeon couldn’t help but to stare at Minji’s hand in surprise. It was the first time that Minji had initiated physical contact with the Princess. 

“You didn’t deserve it. And hopefully this boy that your sister likes will be kind to her,” Minji continued rubbing her thumb across the back of Yoohyeon’s hand gently, hoping to comfort the Princess.

“I sure hope so,” Yoohyeon agreed, nodding at the woman next to her. “But what about you, Minji, have you ever been in love?” The Princess drew out the final word, hoping that the question came off lighthearted and jokingly when in fact Yoohyeon had been dying to know if Minji had a lover waiting for her back home, or if there was even a chance Minji was interested in women.

“No, at least not really,” Minji shrugged. “I’d never been too interested in the idea. After losing Jin and my parents, romantic love has always felt like something that would be an unnecessary distraction. Plus with the rebellion I never had –,“ Minji froze, noticing she had essentially brought up her involvement with the movement.

Yoohyeon lit up at the mention of the rebellion. She could be excited that Minji was single later. For now, she needed to capitalize on the mention of the rebel group. “It’s okay Minji,” Yoohyeon said as she pulled her chair closer to the now terrified woman in front of her. The Princess gripped Minji’s hand tighter, willing the other to look into her eyes. Once Minji looked back at her, Yoohyeon sent the woman a comforting smile. “I already know, Minji. I know about everything. You can talk to me. Please talk with me about it,” Yoohyeon pleaded, staring into Minji’s eyes hopefully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a cliffhanger for this chapter. Have a great weekend everyone :)


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, sorry for the long wait lol. Hopefully this chapter makes up for it *fingers crossed* :)

“Come with me,” the Princess instructed, gripping Minji’s hand and gently lifting the other woman from her chair at the table. Once Yoohyeon noticed how shut down Minji appeared, she decided it would be best to guide the woman to a more…private location for a talk of such importance. With her arm laced through Minji’s, Yoohyeon guided the pair out of the kitchen. The Princess was trying to walk at a steady pace, seeing as she didn’t want to worry Minji anymore than she already seemed, but the younger woman was anxious and wanted to ask Minji more about the rebellion as soon as possible. Though she had wanted to go at Minji’s pace, and she had been for the past two weeks or so that Minji had been with her, the woman mentioning the rebellion had wiped away Yoohyeon’s patience. She was determined to learn about Minji’s past, directly from the source, and then she could begin to really dispel Minji’s incorrect beliefs about her and her father. 

Minji hesitantly let the Princess lead her through the hallway, presumably back to the Princess’s bedroom. The prisoner felt her heart continue to race, despite her attempts to control her breathing and to try and collect her thoughts. She really hadn’t meant to bring up the rebellion, but the truth was she had gotten too comfortable with the Princess, and Minji had momentarily forgotten who Yoohyeon was. Sometimes talking with the Princess felt more like talking to a friend, and consequently Minji had slipped up. Minji wasn’t even sure what there was to talk about…What had the Princess even meant when she said she “knew about everything?” Did that confirm Minji’s suspicions that the Princess was well aware of how the kingdom was run, and maybe even worse, that she supported the King’s actions? It had to be, Minji thought. Why else would the King have entrusted her to his daughter’s supervision? These thoughts continued to run through Minji’s head as the two women eventually reached Yoohyeon’s bedroom. 

“Let’s sit,” Yoohyeon suggested as she led Minji inside her room. The Princess sat down on her bed, basically pulling Minji down so she was sat next to her. The Princess turned to look into Minji’s eyes hopefully, never dropping the other women’s hands from her own. She gave the woman across from her a soft smile before speaking, “can we talk about it? The rebellion, I mean…” The Princess gave Minji’s hands a soft squeeze.

“I – um…” Minji couldn’t hold the Princess’s gaze any longer as she dropped her eyes down to glance at the Princess’s hands in her own. Without thinking, she quickly withdrew her hands from Yoohyeon’s and placed her hands in her own lap, reflexively turning inwards and away from the Princess. Minji had felt safe with the Princess these last few days, but all of that comfort was instantly stripped from her once she remembered what her and her father had done to Minji’s family and those she cared about. She felt her eyes begin to well up with tears, and she blinked rapidly to try and stop any from falling.

After a few moments of silence, Minji felt a soft hand cup her cheek, gently lifting her face so she was once again met with Yoohyeon’s warm eyes. The Princess’s other hand found its way to Minji’s shoulder, where it massaged the bare skin there affectionately.

“Please, Minji. I can see how hard this is for you…but I think it’s time we talk about it,” Yoohyeon paused, waiting for Minji to answer. However, once it became clear Minji wasn’t going to talk, the Princess sighed deeply before continuing. “I know that your parents were executed by my father for their involvement with the rebellion, and I’m sure you resent me for that,” the Princess smiled sadly at Minji, “but, I can’t forgive them for what they’ve done to you, Minji.”

“Wh-what?” Minji crinkled her nose at the Princess’s words, leaning back from the Princess slightly. How dare she try and…empathize with her. The Princess had no idea what Minji had gone through, and what the hell did she mean that she can’t forgive Minji’s parents for what they’ve done to her? Her parents were kind and loving, and just trying to do what’s right for the kingdom, unlike Princess Yoohyeon and her father.

“I know that they’ve fed you these awful lies, Minji. Your parents, and whoever took over once they were dealt with, have made you believe that we are bad people, but we aren’t Minji. Can’t you see that?” The Princess shifted her hand on Minji’s cheek to the back of her neck, trying to bring the woman closer to her once again. Instead, the Princess was met with a shove to her chest. It wasn’t all that forceful, but it had been unexpected, which resulted in Yoohyeon losing her hold on Minji and falling over onto her back.

“My parents were good people,” Minji snapped, leaping from the bed and standing in the middle of the room, glaring at the now shocked Princess laid out on the sheets. 

Yoohyeon blinked back at Minji, surprised at her reaction. “Minji, I – “

“No,” Minji growled, making her way towards the bed to stand over Yoohyeon. “You have no right to speak about my parents. They were murdered for trying to do the right thing, something you and father have never done for any of our people!” The older woman pointed a finger at Yoohyeon accusatorily, leaning down so her face was merely inches away from the Princess’s.

“I…what? Minji, you’ve got it all wrong. These are the lies I was talking about. Y-you’ve been brainwashed, sweetie,” Yoohyeon insisted. She slowly reached a hand out to try and take hold of Minji’s hand that was inches from her face, but Minji was quick to swat it away. Moments later the Princess heard a loud smack, followed by a painful stinging on her right cheek as her head snapped violently to the left. She cupped her cheek, turning her head to look back over at Minji. Yoohyeon was met with a fire she hadn’t seen in the other woman’s eyes since she first saw the prisoner being taken to the dungeon.

Minji stared at the woman now tearing up in front of her, not saying anything. In all honesty, Minji was shocked that she had managed to slap the Princess, but she wouldn’t take it back. She mulled over the words the other woman had spoken, desperately trying to decipher the Princess’s angle. Why the hell would she try and convince Minji that the King was a good guy? He was basically Satan himself, Minji thought. She bared her teeth at Yoohyeon, before muttering, “you and I both know that’s a load of bullshit, Princess. Fuck you…and your father…” Minji shook her head once more at the Princess and then turned, making her way towards the door.

The Princess quickly snapped out of the haze of being slapped and followed Minji to the other side of her room, desperately clawing at Minji’s back to try and get her to stop. As Minji made it to the door and tried to open it, Yoohyeon slammed her palm on the wood, effectively shutting the door and trapping Minji between her and the wall. Without thinking, the Princess flipped Minji around, so the two women were face to face. Yoohyeon hadn’t meant to put much force behind the move, but next thing the Princess knew she saw Minji’s back collide with the door. The older woman let out a pained gasp at the contact. The Princess paused, looking into Minji’s eyes. She immediately noticed the anger that was present on Minji’s face from moments earlier had been replaced by fear, and Yoohyeon immediately dropped her grip on Minji’s forearm, stepping away from the other woman.

“Minji, I-I’m so sorry,” Yoohyeon pleaded with the woman in front of her, begging Minji to hear her out. “Please, I know this can’t be easy to think about, but have you been hurt while you’re here? Have you ever really felt like you’ve been in any danger?” Yoohyeon tilted her head to the side, hoping Minji would realize all of her fears about her father were misguided. 

Minji scoffed at Yoohyeon, shaking her head slightly at the Princess’s question. The prisoner was beginning to think the Princess believed what she was saying. Minji glanced at Yoohyeon again, taking in the sincerity in her eyes, and the slight twitch of her lips into a pained frown, indicating the Princess was trying to keep herself from crying.

“Please,” the Princess whined once again, cautiously taking a small step closer to Minji.

“Princess, I was beat bloody before being brought to you. I’ve been terrified of the King – and of you – since I’ve been here. And to say that you resent MY parents, well wake up Princess, all of the kingdom resents yours!” Minji seethed, once again opening the door to Yoohyeon’s room. “I’ll send you Handong, but I’m taking the night off, Princess,” Minji called over her shoulder, trying to keep her voice steady as the tears fell from her eyes.

Yoohyeon stared at Minji, dumbfounded as to what the woman was talking about. However, she couldn’t quite find the words to say anything, and instead just watched Minji’s retreating form. The Princess felt a single tear roll down her own cheek, and she was quick to brush it away with her forefinger. After taking a few moments to catch her breath, Yoohyeon closed the door to her bedroom and made her way back to the bed, plopping down on it with a frustrated sigh. How in the world was she supposed to convince Minji that everything she had been told was lies? Maybe she shouldn’t have pushed so hard to get the other woman to open up, but at least now things were out in the open, Yoohyeon thought to herself. She closed her eyes as she tried to think of way to get Minji to trust her again, thinking she should get some rest before Handong comes and interrupts her momentary silence.

\--- --- --- --- 

Siyeon was laid on her bed rifling through the notes she had managed to gain on SuA over the past three days she had been in the village. It wasn’t much, or at least it wasn’t much of anything useful, and Siyeon was dreading passing that information along to the young guard when he came to see her this evening. Luckily, she had managed to set up another date of sorts with SuA for this afternoon, and she was optimistic could gain something useful from that conversation. The pair had bumped into each other only once since their lunch the day after Siyeon ventured into the village…After all, Siyeon couldn’t seem too eager to spend time with SuA, lest her interest in the woman may come off as suspect.

The woman stood up, making her way to the closet that held the small handful of outfits she had packed for her, hopefully, short stay. Siyeon thumbed through her choices, trying to decide how she wanted to dress for their meeting. The royal guard couldn’t help but notice how lovey-dovey SuA would look at her when they were together, so she wanted to appear at least somewhat attractive when the two got together. SuA’s apparent interest in Siyeon should have made the woman happy, considering if SuA was clouded by lust she’d be more likely to spill about the rebellion, but the whole situation made Siyeon feel kind of off. When she had agreed to this plan, she had assumed SuA would be absolutely miserable to be around, and she wasn’t. The smaller woman was actually nice, friendlier to her than basically everyone but Dami was, and it made Siyeon almost feel bad about using her to gain intel and likely get the woman imprisoned or even killed if things went well. Nevertheless, Siyeon knew she had a job to do, and if she let her emotions get in the way it would be her hurting instead of SuA. Siyeon sighed, pulling a long-sleeved dress from the closet, quickly dressing herself and making her way to the town square, where her and SuA had agreed to meet.

Upon arrival, Siyeon noticed that SuA was busy talking with another woman at her stand. At first Siyeon had thought the person was just another customer buying some food, but as she got closer the guard noticed how urgent the pair looked. SuA’s eyes were wide and she was gesturing her hands wildly as she conversed with the woman whose back was to Siyeon. Siyeon paused, ducking behind a nearby building, hoping to see if she could make out who SuA was talking to. Then the other woman turned her head to the left, giving Siyeon a better view of her face. Siyeon smirked to herself, instantly recognizing the other woman to be Wheein, her other target she was meant to gather information on during this little mission. The woman decided now was as good of a time as ever to make her presence known, so she continued making her way towards SuA, smiling brightly at the smaller woman who looked in her direction.

“SuA, hi!” Siyeon called excitedly once she was within earshot of the other woman. “How have you been?” 

“Siyeon, hi! You’re a bit early, aren’t you?” SuA looked between the two women now standing before her.

“Yes, sorry,” Siyeon smiled sheepishly, making her way to give SuA a quick hug. “I just couldn’t wait to see you…” And that was only a partial lie, Siyeon thought. Yeah, would she rather be back at the castle with Dami, yes, but laying around the little cottage the past couple of days was boring, so she was actually looking forward to their afternoon together.

SuA sent Siyeon a shy smile, blushing at the comment. Wheein looked between the two, curious about the stranger that seemed to make SuA so nervous. After a few moments of silence, Wheein cleared her throat, hoping to regain SuA’s attention. 

“Oh, sorry,” SuA broke from her trance, “Wheein, meet Siyeon. Siyeon, this is my friend Wheein.”

“Nice to meet you, Wheein,” Siyeon greeted giving the other woman a slight bow and a kind smile. 

“Likewise,” Wheein smiled back at Siyeon, “anyway, I’ll leave you two...but SuA, what we talked about...we’ll need to pick that conversation back up. Tonight, 8pm? The usual place.” Wheein’s friendly demeanor had been replaced with a more serious tone, letting SuA know there was no way she was getting out of meeting with her that night.

SuA nodded her head at Wheein answering, “yes, that sounds good. I’ll see you this evening then?”

“Perfect,” Wheein replied. “It was nice meeting you, Siyeon. Have a nice day you two.” And with that Wheein was gone, leaving SuA and Siyeon alone.

Siyeon watched as Wheein made her exit. So this basically confirmed what the King had thought…it seemed SuA was involved in the rebellion, seeing as there was no doubt in Siyeon’s mind that Wheein had taken over where Wonwoo had left off. “What was that about? You got a hot girlfriend you didn’t mention?” Siyeon joked, nudging SuA’s elbow with her own playfully.

“What? No, that’s just a uh – friend…a mutual friend. She actually lost her husband recently, so no relationship there,” SuA mumbled as she turned to face Siyeon. SuA studied Siyeon intently, slightly surprised that she hadn’t recognized Wheein as Wonwoo’s widow. After all, most people in the village were well aware of the rebellion, even if they themselves weren’t a part of it.

“Ah, my apologies,” Siyeon frowned at SuA. “I had no idea she had suffered such a loss. Please pass along my condolences.” 

“Thanks, I will,” SuA lifted her lips into a half smile as she looped her arm through Siyeon’s. “Anyways, I already closed up my shop, so why don’t we take a walk around the village?”

“That sounds lovely,” Siyeon brought her free hand to grip SuA’s arm that was wrapped through her own, and she led the smaller woman through the streets, making small talk as they went.

A couple hours had passed of the two women continuing to get to know one another. Much to Siyeon’s dismay, the conversations stayed pretty much surface level, but this was what, their second time hanging out, so Siyeon continued to remind herself to be patient. However, knowing she had to meet with Jungwoo later that day, she decided to try and redirect the conversation to the topic of the rebellion.

“How are you doing by the way?” Siyeon asked as she led the pair to a bench on the side of the park path they were currently walking. “I know when we last talked you were worried about your friend, Minji was it? Have you heard any updates?” Siyeon pulled SuA down next to her, taking the other woman’s hand into her own and placing it on her lap. 

“Yes, Minji,” SuA sighed, “um, no update. I’m still really worried, but thanks for checking in.” 

“Well, I’m sorry about that. Hopefully no news is good news though?” Siyeon sent SuA a sad smile, rubbing the back of her hand with her thumb.

“That’s the way I’m trying to look at it…” SuA looked down at her lap, trying not to let her worries about Minji continue to consume her entire being. 

“And, um I’ve been thinking,” Siyeon started softly, looking around them to make sure no one was within earshot, “maybe there could be a way to get her back?”

SuA snapped her head to look into Siyeon’s eyes, quirking a brow as she gestured for Siyeon to continue.

“Well, I’ve heard…rumors of a um, I guess you could call it a rebellion, and since you said Minji was taken by the guard, maybe those in the uh, rebel group I guess you could call it, would be interested in helping get her back?” Siyeon tilted her head at SuA, praying that the suggestion wouldn’t make her seem suspicious, but could instead allow SuA to open up about the rebellion and any possible plans to attack the castle grounds.

SuA froze, studying Siyeon carefully. So she was aware of the movement to bring down the King, SuA noted. SuA also wondered why she was brazen enough to bring up the rebellion, and in public at that. Granted, the King didn’t have many supporters outside of the castle’s walls, but you could never be certain a member of the guard wasn’t patrolling right around the corner. After a few moments of weighing the pros and cons of opening up to Siyeon, she decided it was best to still keep her personal connection to the rebellion a secret, at least until she knew the other woman a little better.

“That was something that had crossed my mind,” SuA laughed humorlessly, “you wouldn’t by chance be able to help a girl out would you?” SuA smiled at Siyeon, hoping she could get across that she in no way supported the King, while also not letting Siyeon know she was currently plotting a very large attack on behalf of the rebellion.

“No, I sadly have no idea who could help with that,” Siyeon sighed, “believe me, if I did, I would have already beaten that bastard bloody and then finished him off so he couldn’t hurt another innocent soul,” Siyeon declared quietly, looking into the distance, visualizing herself punching the King until he fell into unconsciousness. Siyeon smiled inwardly, it was a nice thought, but not something she could ever go through with. 

SuA couldn’t help but laugh. She quickly brought her hand to her mouth to muffle the sound, not wanting to draw too much attention to the pair of them. “Glad to hear we’re on the same page about the King then,” SuA smirked at the other woman, jabbing her finger into Siyeon’s ribs as she let out another muffled giggle. 

Cute, Siyeon thought, noting the obnoxious sounding laugh the smaller woman possessed. “Yep, he’s a piece of shit,” Siyeon shrugged, smiling at SuA, “but I’m pretty sure most people can agree on that.”

“You’re probably right,” SuA sighed, leaning her elbow on the edge of bench and propping her chin up in her hand, “but anyway, how have you been? What did you do the past few days?”  
“Oh nothing much, just passing the time until I got to see you again,” Siyeon smirked at SuA, pleased once she saw another round of blush rise up on SuA’s cheeks. The royal guard held back a frustrated huff, annoyed that she hadn’t gotten SuA to disclose at all about her involvement with the rebellion, which at this point Siyeon was sure she was, but ultimately satisfied with how the day was going. She could tell SuA enjoyed her company, and the moments she had made SuA flustered only further confirmed that the smaller woman was indeed into Siyeon, which was both flattering and promising to Siyeon.

The pair continued on, discussing things such as their hobbies and favorite foods, for the next hour or so. Eventually, Siyeon let SuA know she needed to leave, since she had dinner plans with a “friend.” The pair bid farewell with a tight embrace and Siyeon made her way grumpily back to her cottage, preparing herself to break it to Jungwoo that she had no new concrete intel to pass along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And yeah... Minji and Yoohyeon finally talked about everything. Did it go how you thought it would? 
> 
> Feel free to leave thoughts/questions in the comments :)


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry in advance for the SUPER short chapter lol. It just felt like it needed to be cut off where it was. 
> 
> The good news though is that the next chapter is already written, so it will be up by the end of the week :)

“Princess?”

Yoohyeon’s eyes fluttered open at the soft voice calling from outside her bedroom door. “Yes, come in,” she mumbled sleepily as she sat up, stretching her arms. The Princess immediately felt the ache from the slap she had received earlier, and she brought her hand up to rub at her cheek gingerly, frowning at the memory of Minji being so angry with her.

“Hi, Princess. Minji said that I was to spend the rest of the day with you,” Handong said as she cautiously opened the door, not entirely sure what she was walking into. The servant girl had been interrupted from reading a book moments earlier by Minji, and though Handong didn’t want to pry, she could tell the other woman had been crying from the puffiness of her eyes.

“Yes, that’s right,” Yoohyeon replied as she tried to force a smile onto her face. The Princess exhaled as she sat up, turning to face Handong. “How was your day Handong?”

“It was good, Princess,” Handong smiled gently at the Princess noticing how drained she looked. “How was yours? And don’t lie and say good because if it was, I would still be lounging in my room reading right now,” the servant laughed to try and lighten the mood.

Yoohyeon ran a hand through her hair as she pondered how much she wanted to disclose to the servant. It wasn’t that the Princess didn’t trust Handong, but she treasured the bond she had been building with Minji and she didn’t want to risk it by confiding in the servant. Maybe she should talk to her father, seeing as he may have some ideas on how to convince Minji that they didn’t mean her any harm…

“Minji seemed upset,” Handong spoke up once she noticed the Princess seemed lost in her own thoughts.

“Are you happy here?” Yoohyeon asked suddenly, tilting her head slightly as she looked into her servant’s eyes.

“I, um –“ Handong stuttered, caught off guard by the question.

“With me, I mean. Do you feel uh, safe, working in the castle?” Yoohyeon added, fidgeting with the duvet on her bed.

Handong opened her mouth and closed it again, pondering how she would answer Yoohyeon. “Why do you ask, Princess?” Handong finally asked, deciding to answer the Princess’s question with a question of her own.

“I think Minji’s scared of me…” The Princess mumbled almost inaudibly. Yoohyeon sighed, chewing her lower lip as she thought over the accusations Minji had thrown at her and her father. 

“So, this is about Minji then?” Handong asked hesitantly as she made her way to sit down on the bed next to Yoohyeon. “And can you really blame her, Princess? After all, she is still here as a prisoner.”

“I know that, Handong,” Yoohyeon cut in bitterly, “but I’ve tried to be so kind to her. I thought we were becoming friends, but turns out she hates me.” The Princess felt the tears fall, wiping at her eyes frantically to try and stop them. 

“Are you alright?” Handong asked, gently reaching a hand out to lay it on Yoohyeon’s shoulder. Surprisingly, the Princess didn’t shy away from the touch and instead Yoohyeon found herself leaning into Handong’s side, wrapping her arms tightly around the servant’s midsection.

“No,” Yoohyeon mumbled into Handong’s neck.

“I-I’m sorry…And I’m sure she doesn’t hate you, Princess. She’s just…scared? Yeah, she’s scared,” the servant stammered as she combed her hand through Yoohyeon’s tangled hair.

“But why? Can’t she see that I care about her?” Yoohyeon nuzzled her face further into Handong’s neck, hoping the embrace could take away some of her sadness. “I care about her so fucking much…” the Princess whispered.

Handong involuntarily stiffened at the vibrations on her neck. She couldn’t make out the Princess’s last sentence, but the death grip Yoohyeon had on her was making Handong uncomfortable. After a few moments of hesitation, the servant gently pried Yoohyeon off of her, making it so the two women were sat facing one another a foot or so apart. The two stared at each other for a few beats of silence. Yoohyeon puffed out her lower lip, finally letting her tears fall freely. Handong sighed, cautiously bringing her hand up to wipe at her damp cheeks.

“Ugh, I’m such a mess,” the Princess made an attempt at a smirk, letting out an uncomfortable laugh as she leaned away from Handong’s touch, “sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize, Princess,” Handong replied, “it’s okay to be vulnerable…that’s only human.”

The Princess curled her lip up at Handong’s words, barely holding back an eye roll. She envied Handong, truly, but as the Princess there was no room for vulnerability as it led to weakness. Her father had taught her that.

“It’s true, Princess.” Handong gave Yoohyeon a sad smile, seeing the Princess’s reaction to her words. 

Instead of arguing, the Princess gave Handong a small nod. “Maybe you’re right,” she conceded, even if only to make Handong drop the subject, smiling fondly at Handong. The Princess studied Handong for a few moments, really beginning to regret the way she had treated the woman. She had never been cruel to her per say, but Yoohyeon knows that after a few unsuccessful days of trying to befriend the new servant, the Princess had turned cold and mostly authoritative towards Handong.

“So, did you want to talk about why you think Minji is afraid of you? What happened earlier today?” Handong asked softly, not sure if she was crossing a line.

Yoohyeon sighed, contemplating opening up to the woman, but ultimately deciding against it. “Maybe another day?” Yoohyeon suggested, “I’m exhausted.” The Princess threw herself against the sheets dramatically, smiling up at Handong.

“Alright,” Handong smiled back at the Princess, reaching over to squeeze her hand gently, “did you want some space?” 

“What, are the days of you following me around like a loyal puppy over?” Yoohyeon joked lightly, referencing the name she had frustratingly called the servant in the past.

Handong laughed lightly, shaking her head at the Princess’s words. “I’m afraid so, Princess. Ever since Minji got here I’ve gotten a lot more free time, and even if you two aren’t talking at the moment, I’m afraid I don’t really want to give that freedom up,” Handong smirked at the Princess. “Actually, before Minji, I had zero free time if I recall, so yeah, I’m really really liking this new arrangement!”

“Okay, okay,” Yoohyeon giggled, holding her hands up in surrender, “you’re relieved of your duties for the night. But I would like to see both you and Minji at breakfast tomorrow, if Minji’s up for it that is…” The Princess trailed off, looking up at her ceiling and biting her lip.

“Okay, Princess. Have a good rest of your night alright? And please go easy on yourself…I’m not sure what happened between the two of you, but just give her some time,” Handong instructed as she made her way to Yoohyeon’s bedroom door.

“I will, thanks,” Yoohyeon said, “and Handong?” 

“Yes, Princess?” Handong paused in the doorway, turning to look back over to the Princess.

“Can you check on Minji for me? She was really upset earlier, and I just want her to know someone is there for her…” Yoohyeon pleaded, holding back the possessive side of her that said she should be the one comforting the other woman. However, Yoohyeon knew that Handong’s advice was true, she needed to give Minji some time, and that probably also meant giving the woman some space.

“Of course,” Handong spoke gently, curtsying before leaving, closing the door gently behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all of the super awesome comments y’all have been leaving. I promise I read each and every single one of them, and I will continue to try and respond to as many as I can!


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s the next chapter! Its longer than the last one (YAY!) and builds more on 2hyeon’s relationship.

“Gahyeon I swear if you let that boy touch you I will kill him!” Yoohyeon declared, only half joking with her little sister. 

Yoohyeon and Gahyeon were sprawled out on the younger Princess’s bed, spending some much needed time just the two of them.

“We didn’t do anything, Yooh,” Gahyeon whined, rolling over so she could lay her head on Yoohyeon’s shoulder, “and I promise we won’t do anything this evening either.” From where Gahyeon was positioned, she was able to pout up at her older sister, giving Yoohyeon the puppy dog eyes and puffed out lip she knew made the other woman give in to almost any of her requests.

“Fine, fine,” Yoohyeon laughed, “I give you my blessing to spend the evening with Jungwoo…”

“Yay,” Gahyeon shouted, lifting herself up to plant a kiss on the other Princess’s cheek. “Not that I really needed it though, I don’t need your permission to spend time with him,” Gahyeon said as she smirked, rolling her eyes playfully at Yoohyeon.

“Hey, you need me!” Yoohyeon smiled as she shoved Gahyeon’s shoulder lightly, causing the younger woman to fall backwards onto the bed in a fit of giggles. 

“Yes, I do. I love you, Yooh, and I value your opinion…but I’m not a baby anymore either,” Gahyeon mumbled, sticking her tongue out at Yoohyeon as she rolled over to her side so she could face her sister.

“I know, but you’ll always be my baby,” Yoohyeon cooed, squeezing Gahyeon’s cheek with her hand.

“Ew, stop that,” Gahyeon yelped as she swatted her older sister’s hand away, wrinkling her nose in annoyance. Yoohyeon raised her left brow, shaking her head at Gahyeon’s reaction, but nevertheless retracted her hand as she brought it to play with her mother’s locket secured around her neck. “But anyway, how have you been?” Gahyeon asked.

“Alright, I guess,” Yoohyeon sighed. It had been a few days since her fight with Minji, and though she had seen the girl since, Yoohyeon hadn’t had a moment alone with the other woman since the incident. The Princess was truly trying to give Minji space, but she just wanted to make things right. All she had gotten from Minji the past few days was curt nods and “Yes, ma’am’s” whenever Yoohyeon tried to talk with her. However, she had already told Handong to take the evening off, which would fix the not being alone with Minji issue, and she planned on trying to apologize to the other woman.

“Really? You’ve been down the past few days, sis…” Gahyeon pointed out as she looked at the other girl, hoping that Yoohyeon would finally open up to her. Gahyeon knew that life hadn’t been easy for Yoohyeon. Yes, they both lost a mother, but Gahyeon lost a mother she never knew, while Yoohyeon lost one of the most important people in her life. The younger Princess understood why Yoohyeon felt the need to protect her and seem so strong, but Gahyeon sometimes wished her sister would treat her as more of an equal, a sister, rather than almost like a child she had raised.

“It’s about Minji…she’s mad at me Gahyeon,” Yoohyeon whispered, frowning over at the other girl.

“Why?” Gahyeon asked, giving her older sister a concerned look.

“Well, for starters, she thinks we’re shitty people,” Yoohyeon laughed humorlessly. “And on top of that I brought up her dead parents, and said some not so nice things about them…” Yoohyeon mumbled as she placed her hand under her chin, propping herself up so she could see the younger girl better.

“What did you say? And what the hell were you thinking? You would murder, like actually murder someone, if they said something bad about mom,” Gahyeon said in disbelief.

“I know, but – like her parents were actually shitty people…” Yoohyeon hesitated, knowing Gahyeon was unaware of the unrest happening outside of the castle’s walls, just like the older Princess had been only a few weeks ago.

“Who are we to decide if someone is a bad person or not, Yooh? And why does Minji think we are ‘shitty,’” Gahyeon asked.

Yoohyeon chewed her lip in thought, debating whether to disclose just how evil Minji’s parents really were. However, in the end the Princess decided Gahyeon was still too young to know of such matters and responded, “you’re right, sis. I shouldn’t have spoken so harshly of her parents.”

“No shit,” Gahyeon said, laughing softly. “And why does she think we’re so terrible?”

“I wish I knew,” Yoohyeon shrugged. “She said that daddy doesn’t care about the kingdom and that life outside the castle’s walls is terrible for our people…” Yoohyeon trailed off, still distraught that Minji thought of her and her family in such a way. 

“Why would she think that?” Gahyeon gasped. “Sure, daddy is strict, but he’s so loving and caring…there’s absolutely no way he mistreats our people. He loves our people,” the younger Princess insisted, frowning over at Yoohyeon.

“I know, sis. I just wish Minji believed me…”

“But why doesn’t she, Yooh? Did she give you a reason for her beliefs?” Gahyeon asked. “Minji seems so sweet. I really like her. So there must be a reason, even if it’s a wrong one, that she thinks that way!”

“There is…but...it’s just a bunch of lies she’s been fed, sis,” Yoohyeon said, pulling herself up into a sitting position. Gahyeon followed suit, and soon both girls were sat face-to-face. Yoohyeon let out a soft sigh, blinking a couple times to help hold back the tears she felt forming. The younger Princess gave Yoohyeon a sad smile and pulled the other woman into a warm embrace.

“I’m sorry, Yooh. I see how much you care about her,” Gahyeon whispered as she laid her chin against her sister’s shoulder, rubbing her back softly. “Just convince her we’re better than the lies she’s been told. After all,” Gahyeon paused, pulling away so she could see Yoohyeon, “it shouldn’t be that difficult. I’m pretty awesome, and you’re not so bad yourself.”

Yoohyeon snorted and gave Gahyeon a light shove on her chest. “Thanks, sis. I plan on doing exactly that. Minji does mean a lot to me – more than you know actually – and I don’t plan on letting her slip away from me that easily.”

“Oh please, Yooh,” Gahyeon groaned, rolling her eyes at her sister, “you’re like totally in love with the girl. You’re not subtle.”

“What?” Yoohyeon yelped, blushing madly, “how did you know?”

“Like I said, you’re not subtle,” Gahyeon shrugged. “You look at her like you looked at that other servant you had before Handong. What was her name again?”

“Irene,” Yoohyeon said softly, giving her sister a sad smile.

“Yes, Irene,” Gahyeon repeated. “I remember how much you adored that girl…not sure why though…she was so scary,” Gahyeon trailed off, remembering all the uncomfortable encounters she had had with the woman.

“Hey, she was kind…or at least she was kind to me!” Yoohyeon giggled at the expression on Gahyeon’s face.

“Okay, well whatever, that’s not the point,” Gahyeon cut off, waving her hand dismissively. “Anyway, you looked at her just like how you look at Minji now – like she’s the greatest damn thing to walk the earth.”

“That’s so embarrassing,” the older Princess whined, bringing her hands to cover her face. “Do you think she knows?”

“I have no idea. I mean I’ve known you for years, so maybe not, but once again, you’re not subtle,” Gahyeon giggled, shaking her head at Yoohyeon’s reddening cheeks.

“God, I hope she doesn’t know…that would be mortifying,” Yoohyeon mumbled.

“Well right now she thinks you’re ‘evil,’ so I think her knowing you have a crush on her is the least of your worries,” Gahyeon said, still wondering how this idea that their family were these terrible people had come into Minji’s head.

“I guess you’re right,” Yoohyeon smiled over at Gahyeon once more. “Got any ideas about how I can try and fix that?”

“Just be yourself, sis,” Gahyeon smiled at her sister. “All you need to show her how kind you are is in here,” the younger Princess reached out and jabbed her finger at Yoohyeon’s chest, right over her heart. 

“Agh, you’re so cheesy!” Yoohyeon laughed, swatting playfully at Gahyeon’s hand. “I love you, sis.”

“I love you too, Yooh!” Gahyeon smiled widely back at Yoohyeon, pulling her into a brief hug. “But if we’re done here I should be going. I have to meet Jungwoo soon,” the young girl said, ducking her head to hide the blush spreading across her cheeks.

“Ugh, you’re so cute,” Yoohyeon cooed, ruffling Gahyeon’s hair.

“Careful, sis. If you keep teasing me about my crush I might have to start teasing you about yours!” Gahyeon raised her brow, challenging her older sister.

“Fine, fine!” Yoohyeon said as she raised her hands in surrender. “I promise to drop it, but you better never say something about my feelings for Minji in front of anyone, especially not Minji!”

“I would never! As long as you don’t embarrass me in front of Jungwoo…” Gahyeon trailed off, wringing her hands nervously in her lap. “I was actually hoping to introduce you to him soon, but only if you promise to be nice…and not to treat me like I’m five!”

“Aw, you must really like him!” Yoohyeon squealed. Gahyeon folded her arms across her chest and glared at her sister. “Hey,” Yoohyeon said, immediately noticing her sister’s expression, “I’m not teasing you…I just think it’s sweet. I’ve never seen my little sister have feelings for a boy before!”

“That’s cause I haven’t,” Gahyeon mumbled, jutting her bottom lip out, “which is why I really don’t want to screw things up with him.”

“You won’t, trust me. You’re perfect, sis, so if someone messes this up it will be him, not you,” Yoohyeon said as she reached her hand out to tap Gahyeon’s nose lightly.

“Okay,” Gahyeon giggled as she scrunched her nose up, “thanks for the pep talk, but I really do need to go now. See you tomorrow at dinner?”

“Of course, Gahyeon! Have a nice evening.”

“Thanks, you too, sis,” Gahyeon said as she retreated from Yoohyeon’s room, closing the door gently behind her.

Gahyeon smiled to herself, excited about her evening. She practically bounced down the hall back towards her room, thinking about what she was going to wear for their evening together. Gahyeon rounded a corner and was suddenly met with another person, a guard to be exact. Before she could stop her momentum, Gahyeon had plowed right into the person, sending herself stumbling back a few steps.

“I’m so sorry,” Gahyeon said as she backed away shyly from the woman she had just quite literally ran into. The Princess smoothed her dress back down with her hands, giving the guard a hesitant smile.

“It’s quite alright, Princess,” the guard said, bowing politely towards Gahyeon.

“I haven’t seen you here before. What’s your name?” Gahyeon asked, always curious about those who worked in the castle. Though Gahyeon understood the differences in statuses between herself and the guards and servants working on the castle grounds, the younger Princess had always made an effort to get to know as many people as possible. Having spent all fifteen years of her life inside the castle’s walls had been pretty lonely growing up, so Gahyeon figured she’d make her friends where she could take them. However, much to the Princess’s disappointment, most of the servants and guards avoided her whenever possible. She couldn’t quite understand why, but she had just assumed they were too busy to spend too much time with her.

“My name is Dami, miss. I’m normally not in this wing of the castle, which is likely why we haven’t met,” the guard stated. Dami made sure to use a professional tone with the Princess; not too cold, but not friendly enough that would keep the conversation going on any longer than it had to. The guard was stressed enough as it was with Siyeon out on some mission from the King, and the last thing Dami needed was for the young girl to distract her.

“Oh, okay!” Gahyeon responded, smiling brightly at the stiff guard across from her. “Well, Dami, it was nice to meet you…I should be headed off, but hopefully I’ll see you around?” And with that Gahyeon gave the guard a tiny wave before she continued bouncing down the hallway towards her bedroom.

Dami’s eyes followed Gahyeon’s retreating form. The guard wondered how the Princess was always in such a bright mood. Granted, this was the first time she had spoken to Gahyeon herself, but all any of the other guards would talk about is how the younger Princess is this obnoxious ray of sunshine. Dami shook her head in amusement, thinking how nice it must be to be a kid, having no responsibilities or anything to worry about. Truthfully, Dami envied Gahyeon’s position. The girl knew nothing of the outside world, thought the King was a sweet, kind man, and she had everything she could ever want or need inside these castle’s walls. Dami, on the other hand, couldn’t have been so lucky, and she needed to work for her lot in life. Returning from her thoughts, Dami remembered why she had ventured down this wing of the castle, so she set off to find the King, needing to get him the information that Siyeon had just passed along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all have a nice weekend! I can't believe it's almost December...where has 2020 gone?!?


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Long time, no update lol. Hope you’re all doing well and that you enjoy this chapter :)

“Sir?” Dami called as she knocked on the King’s door rapidly. The guard was slightly nervous to speak with the King, seeing as it was usually Siyeon who handled the man in these types of one on one situations. 

“Who is it?” the King called in a frustrated manner from behind the door. 

Dami bristled at the King’s tone and took a deep breath before continuing. “It’s Dami, your majesty. I have an update from Siyeon in regards to the rebellion…” the guard trailed off, uncomfortably shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

“Come in,” the King replied, slightly kinder this time.

Dami entered the room, respectfully remaining in the doorway. It was very uncommon for the King to be bothered in his personal quarters, but Dami believed this information was important enough to risk it.

“What is the update?” The King asked gruffly, not bothering with any small talk and instead opting to get right to the point. Dami looked the King over briefly, noting how pale the man looked as he let out a muffled cough into his sleeve.

“Siyeon discovered another copy of the castle’s blueprints. Kim Bora, the woman Siyeon is tracking, left Siyeon alone in her house while she showered and Siyeon found the blueprint. There was also some writing on the back of the blueprint; writings that looked to detail a plan for an attack on the castle’s walls. Siyeon didn’t have much time to study these plans, as the woman came back in the room, so she doesn’t have dates or names of who is involved, but we can conclude that this Bora woman has helped take over the rebellion after Wonwoo’s execution.”

“Ah, that is very useful information…” the King trailed off as he scratched his unkempt beard in thought. “Has Siyeon gotten any information directly from the target yet?”

“No, nothing of any use anyway. However, Siyeon believes she could get the woman to open up within another week or two, especially considering she is already comfortable enough to leave Siyeon unwatched in her home.” Dami paused, but noticed that the King didn’t seem to have anything to add yet, so the woman continued, “the only risk we run with waiting a couple weeks is that we aren’t certain when they plan to execute this attack on the castle.”

“Hmm, I see,” the King nodded at Dami, pleased with what his top warrior had accomplished thus far. “We will give her one week…make sure to relay that to the guard she meets with to give her reports to. In the meantime, I’m going to need you to up the guards’ presence around the castle, both inside and outside of the castle’s walls. We can also double the patrols in the village. Arrest anyone that seems suspicious, no matter how big or small the suspicion is, and bring them to the dungeon for now.”

“Aright, sir,” Dami replied, jotting notes on a loose piece of paper she had brought with her. Once done she looked at the King, who stared back at her but said nothing. “Well, if that’s all then I’ll get out of your hair, sir,” Dami said as a half statement, half question.

“Actually, there is one more thing,” the King replied before Dami made her way out of the room. “How much do you think the prisoner knows about these plans to attack the castle?”

“The prisoner?” Dami parroted, staring blankly back at the King. 

“Kim Minji. The bitch I gave to Yoohyeon,” the King replied, rubbing at his temples as he rolled his eyes at the guard.

“Oh, of course. Um, I’m not too sure. Considering she was taken before the previous leader’s execution, I would say it is unlikely she knows much…” Dami replied quickly, not wanting to further annoy the man.

“Okay, I was thinking the same…but I’ll have to keep an eye on her too, I guess,” the King said in an exasperated tone.

“Alright, sir. Have a nice rest of your day,” Dami spoke, bowing towards the King before making her way towards the door. The King simply huffed in response, and Dami quickly shut the door behind her, briskly walking back towards the royal guards’ wing to inform everyone of the new changes.

\--- --- --- ---

Yoohyeon stared at her reflection in the mirror, blowing a puff of air between her lips. The Princess tugged at the wavy strands cascading around her face, doing her best to make sure she looked perfect. It was ultimately pointless though, she thought, considering Minji could barely look at her anymore. Yoohyeon had decided that tonight at dinner she was going to try and apologize, really apologize, to Minji. The Princess had even gone as far as to plan out their dinner for the evening. She had been watching Minji and Gahyeon cook together the past week or so and thought she would give it a go. It would also help that she had asked the castle’s best chef to stay around in case she needed any assistance, which the Princess figured she would. The Princess smiled softly in the mirror, hoping that Minji would see she was trying. Yoohyeon had wanted to talk about everything with her father, but he had been sick the past few nights, hence why Yoohyeon would be having dinner with Minji instead of her family. Her father had insisted that “everything was fine” and “it was just a little cough,” but it was going on night four of no family dinners and Yoohyeon was starting to miss seeing the King, no matter how much of an annoyance he could be to her at times.

Yoohyeon was shaken from her thoughts by a light knock on the door. “Come in,” she called, turning to face a smiling Handong in her entryway.

“Hello, Princess,” Handong bowed her head at Yoohyeon. 

“Good afternoon, Handong!” Yoohyeon called brightly before turning her attention to the other woman stood slightly behind Handong, still halfway in the hallway. “Hi, Minji,” the Princess spoke softly, wringing her hands worriedly.

“Hello, miss,” Minji spoke, not bothering to make eye contact with Yoohyeon, instead choosing to fiddle with a loose strand on her dress.

Yoohyeon’s eyes trailed towards Minji’s hands, and the Princess felt her heart clench at the sight of the chains still wrapped around her frail wrists. The Princess held back a frustrated cry, still not understanding why the chains were necessary. Maybe that was also something she could speak about with daddy the next time they talked…

“Well – I should be headed off,” Handong spoke, cutting into the lingering silence as Minji continued to avoid Yoohyeon’s eyes while the Princess looked at the other woman longingly.

“Oh, okay. Have a nice night, Handong.” Yoohyeon averted her eyes from Minji to look at her servant. She gave Handong a small smile and a wave as the servant made her way out of the Princess’s room, giving Minji’s forearm a gentle squeeze as she passed by.

“How was your morning, Minji?” Yoohyeon asked as she gestured for Minji to come in and sit in the chair by her vanity. 

“It was alright, Princess,” Minji replied with a tight-lipped smile, eyes briefly flickering to meet Yoohyeon’s before returning to the floor as she made her way into the Princess’s room.

“O-okay,” Yoohyeon stuttered, trying to think of something to say. “Well, it’s beautiful out this afternoon, and I was wondering if you wanted to go for a walk around the castle’s gardens?”

“Sure, that sounds nice,” Minji agreed. Though she kept her chin tucked down, Yoohyeon thought she saw a brief smile pass across the other woman’s face, which helped the Princess regain a little of her confidence.

“Yay, let’s go!” Yoohyeon clapped her hands together as she stood up, grabbing cardigans from her closet for both herself and Minji. It was still summer, but the weather had been getting cooler lately, and she wanted to make sure the other woman wouldn’t get cold in her summer dress. The Princess quickly handed Minji the sweater before retreating to give the woman space. She understood that for whatever reason Minji didn’t trust her, and since she still hadn’t apologized or explained herself to the other woman, she made sure to not break any physical boundaries with Minji, as hard as that may be for Yoohyeon.

The pair made their way towards the gardens, with Minji following slightly behind Yoohyeon. Once the two made it outside, the Princess led them down a path around the east side of the castle, an area Yoohyeon knew Minji hadn’t visited yet. For the most part, Minji and Yoohyeon walked the path in silence. Yoohyeon tried to spark conversation a few times; awkwardly mentioning which flowers were her favorite or asking Minji if she wanted to cut any flowers to have in her room. However, Minji continuously met the Princess’s words with a short reply, which led to Yoohyeon eventually just letting the pair walk in silence. After an hour or so, Yoohyeon checked her watch and noticed that it was almost five, which meant she wanted to start their dinner.

“Alright, let’s head back. I have a surprise for you,” Yoohyeon declared, smiling brightly at Minji before redirecting them back inside. Minji just nodded in response to Yoohyeon, but she couldn’t help but be a little curious, and hesitant, about this “surprise” the Princess had for her.

Yoohyeon bounced her way giddily to the kitchen, where she guided Minji towards the table and asked her to sit, pulling the chair out for her.

“So, I know I was an uh – ass – the other day, and I wanted to make it up to you by making dinner…” Yoohyeon rubbed the back of her neck nervously and gave Minji a hopeful smile.

“Oh, um alright,” Minji replied as she raised an eyebrow at Yoohyeon. In all honestly, Minji was surprised that the Princess brought their fight up. She had figured Yoohyeon would simply try to pretend like nothing had happened between them, as she had been for the past few days.

“Yeah, okay. You can just sit and watch alright. I’ve been practicing my cooking skills, well sort of, and I think I’ve perfected this chicken dish…” Yoohyeon rambled on as she made her way to the cupboards and began pulling out her supplies and ingredients. Minji let a small smile cross her features as she stared at Yoohyeon’s back, slightly impressed that the Princess seemed genuinely interested in rebuilding whatever relationship the two of them had before the incident.

Over the next half hour Yoohyeon was entirely focused on cooking, nearly chewing a hole through her bottom lip as she measured each ingredient while double – no – triple checking the recipe. Minji simply sat and followed the Princess’s movements with her eyes, secretly enjoying seeing the spoiled Princess do something for herself for once. 

“It’s almost done!” Yoohyeon promised, sneaking a quick glance over her shoulder to smile at the other woman still sat at the table. The Princess beamed with pride as she began plating the pairs’ dinners, surprised that she hadn’t needed to retrieve the chef she requested be available if she had needed them. The Princess made her way back and forth from the table to the kitchen making sure everything was ready before she finally sat down in the chair directly across from Minji.

“Okay, now we can eat. I hope it’s good,” Yoohyeon said, nervously peering down at the dish in front of her. She looked back at Minji, who immediately averted her gaze, but not before Yoohyeon noticed the small smile that had been on the other woman’s face. “After you, Minji. Let me know how it is…and please be honest!” Yoohyeon commanded, holding back a grin as she watched Minji cut into the meat.

“Alright, Princess. Thank you for cooking us dinner.” Minji took a small bite, chewing thoughtfully. Yes, Minji hadn’t forgotten the fight the two had shared, but her love for cooking and food made it hard to be angry at the woman who was now staring at her with an almost puppy-like excitement. After leaving the Princess in suspense for a few moments, Minji cracked into a small smile and said, “it’s very good, miss. You should try it.” The woman waved her fork at Yoohyeon’s plate, hoping to get the Princess to stop staring at her and instead focus on her own food.

“Thank you,” Yoohyeon squealed before digging into her own food, eyes lighting up at the realization that the food was not only edible, but actually pretty tasty.

The next several minutes passed in silence, with each woman choosing to focus on their food rather than the person sat across from them. However, once Yoohyeon noticed Minji had finished eating, she decided it was time to break the silence. 

“Minji, can we talk?” Yoohyeon began hesitantly, eyes staring at the top of Minji’s head as she waited for the other woman to look up from her plate. 

Minji sighed, wishing the Princess could have just let them continue the evening in silence. She gently set her fork down before looking up at Yoohyeon, giving the woman a small nod to signal for the Princess to continue.

“Um, okay. Well, I wanted to say how sorry I am for the way everything went down the other night in my bedroom,” Yoohyeon spoke softly, giving Minji a small smile. “I could see that I hurt you with what I said about your parents, and I want to let you know that if I could take it back I would.” Yoohyeon looked into Minji’s eyes, hoping the other woman could see how sorry she truly felt.

“Okay, thanks,” Minji bit out as she stared back at Yoohyeon, trying her best to keep her face void of any emotion.

“And even though I don’t understand where you’re coming from with this fear and anger you hold towards me and my family, I want to try…please let me try to understand,” Yoohyeon practically begged as she hesitantly reached her hand out to lay it on Minji’s hand that was resting on top of the table. Yoohyeon felt Minji tense under her, and the Princess was quick to pull her hand back into her lap, muttering a “sorry” to the other woman as she ducked her head, upset she had once again made Minji uncomfortable.

“It’s alright, Princess. But I’m not sure what you can’t understand…The royal family – your family – has made lives hell for its people, and consequently the people are fighting back, which is exactly what my parents were trying to do,” Minji stated smugly, raising her brow in defiance at Yoohyeon.

“But w-we didn’t do anything wrong, Minji,” Yoohyeon pleaded with the other woman, shaking her head gently at Minji’s accusations.

“But you did, Princess. Do you know how many people have died out there from starvation? Do you know how horrible it is to be monitored constantly and whipped by guards for so much as breathing? Do you know how many people your father has executed for petty crimes? Hell, do you know how many people your father has executed for no crimes at all?” Minji seethed out, clenching her fists under the table.

“I – I don’t believe you, Minji,” Yoohyeon stuttered nervously, unsure how to continue this conversation.

“Okay, well say none of that is true. Let’s just go with what we can agree on okay? You said yourself that your father executed my parents, right?” Minji paused, glaring back at Yoohyeon, who nodded in agreeance. “Good,” Minji continued, “so he executed my father, after nearly beating him to death, right in front of eyes! Do you know what that’s like, Princess? To have someone that you care about taken from you? To lose the people that mean the most to you and have to sit back and watch helplessly?” 

“I –,“ Yoohyeon faltered, instantly thinking of Irene. The Princess blinked a few times, really trying to empathize with Minji. Sure, she still considered Minji’s parents bad people, but Minji didn’t, and what she went through must have been horrible. After all, Yoohyeon was miserable for weeks after the King fired Irene, and she wasn’t even dead, Yoohyeon thought.

“So do you, Princess?” Minji asked with tears in her eyes, looking at the Princess who seemed lost in thought as she stared intensely at the wall behind Minji’s head.

“Oh, sorry,” Yoohyeon mumbled sheepishly once she realized she hadn’t replied. The Princess returned her gaze back towards the other woman’s and immediately felt heartbroken by Minji’s tear stained cheeks. “Yes, Minji. I kind of do know how that feels; to have someone you care about taken out of your life, and knowing there’s nothing you can do to stop it…” Yoohyeon trailed off as she leapt from her seat, reaching out for Minji’s hand, “come here, I want to show you something, please.”

Minji jumped in her seat, startled by the sudden movement. She tilted her head up to look at Yoohyeon, who seemed to be fighting back tears. Minji sighed, and against her better judgement, reached her hand up and placed it Yoohyeon’s own. Yoohyeon carefully pulled Minji from her seat, abandoning the mess she had made in the kitchen, and guided the two of them out of the dining area. The Princess walked briskly down the halls, essentially dragging the still emotional Minji behind her. 

“Where are we going?” Minji asked nervously, remembering how things ended the last time the two of them were in Yoohyeon’s bedroom alone for more than a few moments.

“To my bedroom. I – I lost someone too…I mean someone other than my mom,” Yoohyeon disclosed, using her free hand to wipe at a tear that escaped from her eyes and was rolling down her cheek. 

Neither woman said a word all the way back to the Princess’s room, where, upon entrance, Yoohyeon led Minji to the bed before heading over to her desk to rummage through some drawers.

“Before Handong I had another servant, Irene,” Yoohyeon began as she pulled out a folder from the bottom of one of her drawers, flipping through the few drawings she had in there. Once Yoohyeon had found the one she wanted she brought it to her chest, smiling at the memories that came flooding back to her. Yoohyeon then made her way over towards her bed, sitting a few feet from Minji, still holding the drawing tight to her chest. “As I was saying, I had another servant named Irene. Her and I were close, like really close…” Yoohyeon trailed off, glancing at Minji, nervous about revealing her feelings for the woman.

“Go on,” Minji encouraged gently, giving the Princess a small smile.

“I, um – well…I was in love with her. And I think she loved me too,” Yoohyeon said as she exhaled a sigh of relief, happy to have finally said those words aloud. 

Minji simply nodded back at Yoohyeon, trying not to react to what Minji could tell was a big deal to the Princess.

“Anyways, one day my father found us, um…” Yoohyeon paused, biting her lip as she waved her hands haphazardly in front of her, hoping Minji would get where she was going without saying more. However, to the Princess’s dismay, Minji just stared back at her with a bewildered expression, her gaze bouncing between Yoohyeon’s awkward hand gestures and the Princess’s eyes. Yoohyeon sighed, “he walked into my room to find us naked…we were having sex.” The Princess immediately broke eye contact with Minji after she finished speaking, too embarrassed to look at the beautiful woman she had now developed similar feelings for.

“Oh,” Minji said, smirking slightly at Yoohyeon’s blushing cheeks, “so what happened?”

“My father happened,” Yoohyeon grumbled, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “He made her leave and she never came back. I assume he transferred her to a part of the castle where we will never meet, or that she was fired from work inside of the castle all together,” Yoohyeon said with a pained expression on her face.

“I’m sorry to hear that, Princess,” Minji said softly, reaching out a hand to hold Yoohyeon’s. While this didn’t absolve for any of the things Yoohyeon had said to her, or the things her father had done, Minji hoped that now Yoohyeon would at least be willing to try and look at things from her perspective.

“There’s not a day that goes by where I don’t think about her. I miss her Minji, and she’s been gone for like, months,” Yoohyeon confessed, bringing the picture away from her chest so she could look at it again. “All I have left of her now is this drawing, and I get that this is different than what happened to your parents, but I don’t know if I’ll ever see her again…” Yoohyeon whimpered, lowering the picture and shoving it into Minji’s hands.

Minji gave the other woman another sad smile before looking down at paper that was thrust into her grasp. Minji gasped quietly, immediately recognizing the angelic face smiling back at her in the drawing. 

“She’s beautiful, right?” Yoohyeon commented, misinterpreting Minji’s reaction.

Minji’s eyes widened, glancing up to look at Yoohyeon who was smiling longingly at the picture Minji was holding in her lap. “Yoohyeon,” Minji paused, waiting for the other woman to look at her, “I recognize her, Princess.”

“Y-you do?” Yoohyeon squealed, eyes lighting up like a child’s on Christmas.

“Yes, I do. And, I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, but I recognize her from her execution. She’s dead, Yoohyeon…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully the cliffhanger has grabbed your attention ;) Things may be getting kinda wild in these next few chapter, so stay tuned!
> 
> P.S. Also, please leave any comments or questions below, I really love reading them! 
> 
> P.P.S. To motivate myself to write this chapter I sat down and reread all of your comments lol


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Years everyone :) Pretty sure this is the longest chapter i’ve written for this story yet!
> 
> TW: violence/torture  
> *flashbacks are in italics

Irene. Dead?

The words rang in Yoohyeon’s head as she felt her blood run cold. Minji had to be mistaken. There was no way her father had had Irene executed. The Princess loved – no _loves_ – Irene; what would she do without her?

“Y-you’re wrong,” Yoohyeon whimpered, tearing her eyes away from the woman sat next to her. The Princess felt her eyes begin to water, and she shook her head gently, trying to keep herself from breaking down in front of Minji.

“Princess, I’m so sorry, but it’s her. I – she’s dead…” Minji spoke, uncharacteristically gentle with her words. She bit her lip, pained at seeing how confused and heartbroken the Princess seemed. Minji was finding it increasingly difficult to stay mad at the younger woman, especially now that she was fully convinced the Princess had no idea of how her father had been running the kingdom.

“Why would I believe you, Minji? M-my father would never do that…” Yoohyeon spoke bitterly, upset that Minji was accusing her father of killing her past lover.

“I…why would I lie, Princess? You can ask anyone…ask the guards – ask Handong! I’m so sorry, Yoohyeon, but he killed her. Your father killed Irene,” Minji said forcefully, trying to convince the Princess of her words, of the truth.

Yoohyeon snapped her head in Minji’s direction, thinking that if the woman was suggesting she ask Handong, then she may be telling the truth. “But she can’t be gone, Minji. I – I need her...” Yoohyeon said softly, her lower lip quivering as the tears began to fall.

Minji crinkled her brow, perplexed as to how to comfort the other woman. She had conditioned herself to be strong ever since she lost her parents, but she could definitely understand how the Princess felt, especially considering the same person that stole her parents from her had taken someone from Yoohyeon.

“Come here,” Minji eventually requested softly, opening her chained arms as much as she could to welcome the Princess into her waiting embrace.

Yoohyeon smiled a sad smile gratefully at the prisoner before flinging herself into the other woman’s arms, letting her head nuzzle against the crook of Minji’s neck. Minji wrapped her arms as best she could around the woman, rubbing her hand soothingly up and down Yoohyeon’s back. Yoohyeon sniffled, and tightened her grip around Minji’s neck, subconsciously playing with strands of Minji’s hair that fell down her back.

“Shh…it’s alright, Yoohyeon,” Minji cooed softly as she felt the other woman’s ragged breathing on her neck.

“No, it’s not. Why would my father execute Irene? Irene was a good person. She did nothing wrong – we did nothing wrong…” Yoohyeon trailed off, now openly sobbing into the other woman’s collar of her dress.

“Because your father isn’t a good person,” Minji stated coldly, feeling her anger once again rise as she thought of every terrible thing that man done.

Yoohyeon flinched at Minji’s words, still refusing to believe that her father could be as evil as the other woman claimed he was. The Princess frowned, pulling away from Minji slowly so she could instead look into the other woman’s eyes.

“Tell me what happened to Irene. You were there, right?” Yoohyeon asked of Minji as she set her hands on the older woman’s knees.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Princess,” Minji responded quickly, widening her eyes at Yoohyeon’s request.

“Please, Minji. I need to know,” Yoohyeon begged, looking at Minji hopefully.

“Um, okay…if you’re sure?” Minji agreed, but hesitated to make sure the Princess meant it. Minji remembered the event like it was yesterday, and it wasn’t pleasant, and she could only hope that Yoohyeon was prepared for that…

“Yes, I – it would be good closure…” Yoohyeon said, wiping her eyes of the tears that were still falling.

“Okay, Princess…”

\--- --- --- ---

_“Wake up, Minji.”_

_Minji blinked her eyes open as she heard the words, paired with an aggressive shaking of her shoulders. The woman stared up at her best friend, SuA, who was frantically yelling at Minji, saying they needed to be to the town square as soon as possible._

_“Why?” Minji asked in between a loud yawn that escaped her lips._

_“The King scheduled another execution…that evil bastard,” SuA mumbled as she ushered Minji out of bed and towards her closet, throwing some clean clothes at her half-asleep friend._

_“Another one? Why so last minute?” Minji sighed as she began stripping off her nightgown, changing into the trousers and sweatshirt SuA had grabbed for her._

_“Who knows with him…” SuA said as she led Minji by her arm through the house and out the door._

_The two walked briskly, fearing that they may be late. It wasn’t that the women_ wanted _to see the execution, it was that they were required by the King’s disgusting laws to be present at every single execution that happens in the kingdom. Once Minji and SuA arrived at the square, the two quickly made their way towards the front of the crowd, Minji wanting to be close to the center as she was so involved with the rebellion looking to hopefully overthrow the King soon._

_SuA sighed deeply from Minji’s side, leaning her head against Minji’s shoulder and taking Minji’s hands in her own; seeking to comfort not only Minji, but also herself for what they were once again about to witness._

_It only took a few minutes before a hush fell amongst the crowd, indicating the guards and person to be executed must have been close. The two women got onto their tiptoes, trying unsuccessfully to see over the heads of other villagers present for the event. Minji saw them first, letting out an almost inaudible gasp at what she saw. SuA, who was nearly a whole head shorter than Minji, looked over at the other woman with a raise of her brow, wondering why her friend had seemed surprised._

_“The King’s with them,” Minji whispered to SuA in shock, tightening her grip on SuA’s hand in distress._

_“The King?” SuA repeated. Both women stared at the man in question as he made his way to the center of the square, flanked by guards on each side. Behind the man were two more guards, dragging a barely conscious person with them. Minji flicked her eyes from the King to the prisoner. She couldn’t make out any of the person’s features since their face was covered by a mane of black hair, but the tiny stature and long hair had Minji convinced the victim was a woman._

_“Is that a woman?” SuA asked quietly, clearly noticing the same things Minji was seeing. Minji nodded in response to SuA’s question, too surprised to form any words. It was incredibly rare for women to be executed, and it was even rarer for the King to be the one doing the executing. Typically, he handed that task off to his guards, which was surprising to Minji considering how cruel and ruthless he was._

_“And the King is here. I wonder what the hell she did…” SuA whispered in a worried tone. Minji just shrugged, thinking there was often no rhyme or reason for the King’s decisions, but still somewhat curious about who this woman was. She had only seen two other woman executed in her lifetime, and they were both quite old, which was likely why they didn’t just disappear never to be heard from again, which was what often happened to many of the younger, more beautiful women that were arrested._

_Minji tensed as she felt SuA dig her fingers into her palm, and she refocused her gaze back on the scene unfolding in front of her. She noticed the King had turned towards the woman, and was holding her chin roughly in his hands. Minji’s eyes widened at the bruised face that was now staring blankly up at the King. The woman was beautiful, Minji noted, immediately scolding herself after the thought. Minji watched as the King dropped her head from his hands and turned to face the crowd, giving the people a sinister smile. The already hushed crowd fell in total silence under the King’s stare, nervously awaiting the start of the execution._

_“Today we have gathered to witness what happens when somebody harms one of the royals. This woman behind me has attacked my daughter, and will pay for that with her life,” the King declared in a menacing tone._

_Minji winced at his words, immediately understanding why the King had chosen to carry out this execution himself. It wasn’t often people were executed for crimes that had actually caused_ _harm, but if what the King accused this woman of was true, then in a way she understood the anger that was present in the King’s eyes and voice for the woman. Minji hated the King, and that hatred extended to his daughters simply by association, but she figured there was a chance that the King might care for them, or even love them, despite how shitty of a person he was._

_SuA and Minji watched as one of the guards handed the King a leather whip. The King made his way back towards the woman, who had been forced onto her knees in the center of the little stage made specifically for these public whippings._

_Minji tore her eyes from the King to look at the woman, who was staring straight ahead, void of any emotion, just past Minji. The woman was held in place by the same two guards who had dragged her there; with one on each side of her holding her arms out to her sides._

_“You will be lashed thirty times for your crimes, and then you will receive death,” the King explained coldly to the woman as he made his way to stand behind her, whip ready in his hand. The man nodded at a guard, who then made their way over to the woman, tearing her already tattered shirt open to expose her back._

_Minji felt SuA tense next to her, uneasy at witnessing yet another act of senseless violence at the hands of their kingdom’s treacherous leadership. Minji dropped SuA’s hand and brought her arm to wrap it around the other woman’s shoulders, pulling her in close to her side._

_A tense silence hung in the air as everyone present, adults and children alike, waited nervously for the first lash from the King’s weapon. Minji let her eyes scan the crowd, seeing many mothers subtly turning their kids away from the scene and covering their eyes as best they could. She also saw many tear-stricken faces, likely this woman’s loved ones, Minji assumed._

_A sudden crack of the whip followed by a pained whimper broke Minji from her thoughts._

_“One,” the King’s voice echoed through the square as he brought his arm back, readying to strike once again._

_Minji returned her eyes to the kneeled woman, giving her a look of pity as her face twisted into pain from the whip meeting her bare back._

_Another lash fell upon the woman, causing her to let out another strangled cry of agony._

_“Two,” the King said smugly, briefly scanning the crowd to relish in the fear evident on so many of the people’s faces._

_It wasn’t until lash twelve that Minji saw the woman’s blood begin to cover the whip, red droplets falling from the weapon’s tip onto the floor by the King’s feet. Minji felt SuA shiver next to her, and she tried her best to comfort SuA by whispering quiet reassurances into her ear as the King continued to whip the now openly sobbing prisoner._

_“Twenty-nine,” the King said as he brought the whip down particularly hard on the woman’s back, purposefully attacking areas that he had already hit._

_“Shh, it’s almost over,” Minji cooed into the now teary-eyed SuA’s ear. It wasn’t that Minji didn’t feel bad for the woman, it was that she had been so hardened by witnessing the same act done to her father only a couple of years ago that she had simply run out of tears to shed. SuA, on the other hand, felt every execution as if it was her loved one up on the stage, and Minji didn’t envy her ability to empathize so deeply one bit._

_“Thirty,” the King stated with finality as he handed off the bloodied whip to a waiting guard. He stepped back and let his gaze roam over the young woman’s back, admiring his handiwork._

_The woman, who had been crying, seemed to almost sigh a breath of relief at hearing the number of the final lashing being called. Minji watched as the woman squeezed her eyes shut, mouthing what Minji could only assume was a prayer; her final words to whoever it was that was out there. Or maybe she was saying goodbye to her loved ones. Minji would never know, but she couldn’t help but hope that the woman had made peace with her fate._

_Suddenly the woman flew forward onto her hands and knees, having been shoved forward by a foot in the back from the King who was now stood directly behind her, a long, golden sword in his right hand. The woman tilted her head up slowly and looked into the crowd, making direct eye contact with Minji._

_Minji winced slightly, taken aback by how uncomfortable she felt knowing this woman was aware of her watching this happen. Minji was quick to avert her gaze, choosing to instead look over to the King, who was staring down at the woman on all fours below him. He cleared his throat before stating, “let this be a lesson to everyone of what happens to those that cross me or my family. Disloyalty to the crown will be met with death.” As he said the words he gripped the woman’s hair, forcefully whipping her body around so her back was now facing the crowd._

_Minji let out a surprised gasp, as did much of the rest of the crowd. Her upper back was littered with crisscrossing bloody wounds. The blood dripped down her back and covered what Minji recognized as only partially healed wounds from a variety of different weapons. Minji sighed sadly, what had he done to this woman prior to bringing her here? Minji let her eyes trail over her legs and arms, which were mostly naked of any clothing, and she noticed most of the woman’s body was also covered in similar cuts and bruises._

_As quick as the King had turned the woman around, he lifted the woman onto her feet, bringing her back into his chest as he lifted his sword to her throat. The woman let out a scared whimper, closing her eyes tight as she prepared herself for what comes next._

_The crowd fell into total silence, everyone holding their breath as the King tightens his hold on the woman._

_Minji was likely one of the few who kept their eyes on the scene in front of them, most understandably choosing to close their eyes or focus their gaze elsewhere. However, Minji needed to see it, the violence fueling her hatred for the King to remind her why her parents formed the rebellion, and why she was continuing their mission._

_The next few moments were a blur. A quick flick of the King’s wrist and the woman’s throat is sliced open, blood flowing out of her as the King is quick to release her from his grasp. Minji watches, heartbroken, as the woman falls to her knees, choking on her own blood for a moment before collapsing lifeless onto the cold ground. Some cries and gasps can be heard from the crowd, but what eventually draws Minji’s eyes from the now dead body in front of her is SuA calling her name quietly. Minji turns her attention to her friend immediately and is met with a crying SuA looking up into her eyes._

_“Come here,” Minji says gently as she pulls the other woman into a tight embrace, running her hands through SuA’s hair soothingly._

_As the pair stand there, the rest of the world begins to return to their lives, as if nothing happened. The King marches off with his guards, feeling as if he has instilled enough fear into the people for one day. Everyone else disperses shortly after, leaving to go back home or to work in a mournful silence._

_Minji sighs, resting her chin on top of SuA’s head as the smaller woman continues to cry quietly into her shirt. Minji turns her head back to the stage once more. She takes in the puddles of blood continuing to spill from the woman who is still laid there. No one from the guard bothered to take the body with them, instead leaving the corpse to be handled by the wild animals that roam at night._

_“How many more, Minji?” SuA mumbles helplessly into Minji’s chest._

_“I don’t know SuA, I don’t know…” Minji says sadly, feeling her eyes begin to water as she makes a promise to herself that she won’t rest until the King is dead, until the kingdom is safe once again._

\--- --- --- ---

Minji finishes the retelling of the experience and looks over at the Princess, nervous to see Yoohyeon’s reaction. Yoohyeon is sat across from Minji with her knees pulled up to her chest. The Princess’s chin rests on her knees and there are tears falling down her cheeks as she silently stares back into Minji’s eyes. Neither woman says anything; Minji scared to cause the Princess more pain and the Princess in shock at what she just learned. Minji fidgets with the buttons of her dress, trying to find a way to bring the Princess out of her glazed over expression.

A sudden knock on the door startled the pair from their inner thoughts. Yoohyeon turned her head towards the door, but made no move to stand up. Minji glanced from the Princess to the door, waiting for direction from the woman. Another rap on the door followed after a few moments of silence.

“Princess, may I?” Minji requested softly, gesturing towards the door with her hand.

Yoohyeon nodded her head wordlessly at Minji.

Minji raises a brow in response, but slowly makes her way towards the door, opening it partially so she can see who is on the other side. Minji feels her shoulders relax once she sees a smiling Handong in the hallway.

“Princess, it’s Handong. May I let her in?” Minji asks, smiling at the servant stood in from of her. Minji awaits the Princess’s response, but when she hears none, turns her head to face the Princess and sees her staring back at her with a frown. “Can I let her in?” Minji repeats the question, slightly softer than before.

Yoohyeon nods at Minji’s words, frantically wiping at the tears still cascading down her cheeks.

“Okay,” Minji says before turning to face Handong, “come in, please.”

Handong raises her brow playfully at Minji, confused by the strange exchange that just happened between Minji and the Princess.

Minji moves back from the door, opening it further so that Handong can make her way into the Princess’s room.

“Sorry to interrupt but I-,” Handong paused noticing the crying woman sat on the bed. The servant’s eyes darted from the Princess to Minji, silently asking her what had happened.

“Hi Handong,” Yoohyeon croaked out, throat sore from crying for the last half hour straight.

“Hello, miss. Are you alright?” Handong questioned, cautiously taking a step towards the bed.

“No, I – I’m…” Yoohyeon trailed off, scrunching her eyebrows in thought as she let out a little sigh.

Minji, seeing the Princess becoming distraught once again, made her way over to the Princess, sitting down next to her on the woman’s bed. She set her hand on Yoohyeon’s shoulder slowly, giving the Princess time to pull away if she wanted to. However, to Minji’s surprise, Yoohyeon leaned in to the touch, wiggling her way closer to Minji ever so slightly.

“Handong, what happened to my previous servant, Irene?” Yoohyeon asked quietly, wanting to hear what the woman would say. Part of her still hoped that Handong would say something to contradict Minji’s story, even if that had meant Minji was lying straight to her face.

Handong blinked in surprise, quickly stealing a glance at Minji before slowly returning her gaze to the Princess. Yoohyeon waited patiently, hoping against all reason that maybe Irene was still alive and that Minji had simply been mistaken…

“Um, why do you ask, Princess?” Handong says eventually, evading the question.

“Just answer me,” Yoohyeon barks out, harsher than she had been intending to. Handong flinched slightly and takes a small step away from the bed. The Princess sighs, gripping the bridge of her nose between her two fingers. “I’m sorry Handong. It’s been a long day. Can you just answer the question, please?”

Handong gave the Princess a pitied look, thinking it seemed the Princess already knew the answer to her own question. “She’s dead, Princess…” Handong shared warily, hesitant she may upset the woman further. It was kind of an unspoken rule amongst all of the castle’s workers that they didn’t talk about any outside events with the Princesses. It wasn’t like it was hard to do, seeing as not many of the guards or servants had personal relationships with the girls. Handong had picked up on each of the girls’ obliviousness to the King’s method of ruling relatively early on in her time at the castle. She wasn’t too sure why the King had kept everything a secret from them; after all Princess Yoohyeon was next in line for the throne and the King wasn’t necessarily a spring chicken.

“Why had no one told me this?” Yoohyeon queried, running her hands through her hair as she stood up, pacing her way back and forth across the middle of her bedroom.

Handong peered over at Minji, who was still sat on the bed staring at the Princess with a look of concern in her eyes.

“Handong, why didn’t you tell me?” Yoohyeon stopped her pacing, making her way over to the servant and placing her hands gingerly on the other woman’s shoulders.

“Um,” Handong hesitated, dropping her gaze to her feet, overwhelmed by the closeness of the Princess’s face to her own, “it’s not like it’s an easy thing to bring up, Princess. Topics of that nature typically aren’t discussed…”

Yoohyeon blinked at Handong, dropping her hands from her shoulders to once again resume the back and forth walking pattern she had been doing moments prior.

“Why did he do it?” Yoohyeon asked, not necessarily thinking either of the other two women knew the answer to the question, but still desperate to learn anything else they may know.

Handong sighed, making her way to sit on the bed next to Minji, patting the spot next to her, hoping the Princess would stop pacing; it was giving her anxiety. Yoohyeon looked over at Handong, and hesitated, but eventually made her way to the bed, sitting next to Minji and cautiously leaning into her. Minji responded immediately, opening her arms for the Princess to snuggle into. Handong peered curiously at the pair, remembering how uncomfortable Minji had been around Yoohyeon just that morning. The two made eye contact, and Minji just shrugged her shoulders at the servant, wrapping her arms tighter around the Princess in a subtly possessive gesture.

“Well,” Handong began slowly, bringing her hands to rest in her lap as she exhaled sharply, “your father was…upset…about seeing the two of you _together_.” The servant paused, hoping she wouldn’t have to elaborate on what she meant by those words. Luckily, the Princess didn’t say anything so Handong continued, “and he was doing what he does best; killing people for no reason other than because he can.”

Yoohyeon visibly tensed at the words, letting out a soft warning growl at the servant’s accusations. The King was still Yoohyeon’s father after all, and though she may be incredibly mad at him, she still wanted to believe there had to be more to the story.

“Sorry, Princess, but it’s the truth,” Handong continued, with much more conviction in her voice than how she usually spoke with the Princess. The servant figured her head was already on the line if the Princess revealed to her father that she had even spoken on the topic this much with Yoohyeon, so she might as well go all in now.

“You mean, he k-kills our people regularly?” Yoohyeon asked, eyes as wide as saucers as she let out the tiniest whimper.

“Yes, Princess, he um – well he leads the kingdom in a very cold, callous manner, to put it kindly anyways. He has executed plenty of people in his time…” Handong trailed off waiting for the Princess’s response.

Yoohyeon gasped, turning in Minji’s arms so that she was facing the other woman. The Princess looked at Minji lovingly, bringing her hand to cup Minji’s cheek. “D-does that mean he was going to kill you, Minji?” The Princess’s eyes were filling up with unshed tears, looking like a lost puppy as she asked the question, her voice filling with dread.

“I assumed so, yes,” Minji said almost nonchalantly. “It was quite a shock when he brought me to you…I’m still not entirely sure why I’m here with you now instead of dead or rotting away in a prison cell,” Minji smiled at the Princess, but the action didn’t reach her eyes.

“I-I want some time alone…to think, please,” Yoohyeon said, slowly maneuvering herself out of Minji’s embrace so she was sat against the headboard of the bed.

“Alright, Princess. Just know that Minji and I are here for you if you need anything,” Handong said sweetly, making her way off the bed and towards the door.

Minji followed suit, giving the Princess one last look before she stood up off the bed. Then she felt a soft, barely-there grip on her wrist, and turned to look at the hand in question.

“Not you,” Yoohyeon whimpered, “stay with me, please.”

Minji looked into the Princess’s eyes, seeing the despair in them. She felt awful for the woman, realizing just how life changing of a revelation Yoohyeon had likely just had. “Sure, sweetie,” Minji said as a gentle smile spread across her face.

“Thank you,” the Princess said, dropping Minji’s hand and flopping gracelessly onto her back, pulling the covers up to her chin.

Minji nodded, moving over to the chair next to the Princess’s desk, facing the seat towards Yoohyeon’s bed and sitting down delicately.

Yoohyeon bit her lip, trying to keep a pout from forming on her face. She wanted nothing more than to ask Minji to lie with her, but she wasn’t quite courageous enough to voice the words.

“Alright,” Handong spoke, breaking the silence, “I’ll be headed out. See you in the morning, Princess.” Yoohyeon simply smiled back sadly at the servant. Handong bowed slightly and said a quick goodbye to Minji before making her way of the room, closing the door behind her.

The two women sat in silence for a few minutes, both being exhausted from the taxing conversations had that day.

“I-I think I’m going to sleep for the night, if that’s alright with you, Minji?” Yoohyeon spoke, unsure of herself.

“Of course, Princess. I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep,” Minji replied, biting back a yawn that was threatening to come out. Sleep sounded like just what Minji needed, but she vowed to herself that she would sit by the Princess’s side until sleep came to her.

“Alright,” Yoohyeon said, once again holding back the urge to ask Minji to stay with her for the night, but thinking that may be crossing a line.

Minji, true to her word, sat by Yoohyeon’s bed as the Princess rolled from one side to the other, sighing in frustration as she was unable to fall asleep. Everything Minji and Handong had told her continued racing through her mind, making it difficult to sleep, let alone stop the silent tears that streamed relentlessly down her face. She clenched the sheets in her fists, trying to clear her mind and just rest. Yoohyeon wanted to deal with everything in the morning, wanting just one more night of peace before having to face the harsh reality of who her father apparently was. Across the room Minji was also in deep thought, hoping that sharing what happened to Yoohyeon’s previous servant would be enough to truly get through to the woman. Everything would be so much easier, albeit slightly more complicated, if she could get the Princess on her side.

After what felt like days, but was realistically only an hour or so, Minji finally heard the Princess’s breathing even out, the woman letting out a soft snore with every breath. Minji stood up, making her way to stand over the woman. Once Minji confirmed Yoohyeon really was asleep, she knelt down by the Princess, gently combing her hair back from her eyes. “Goodnight, Yoohyeon,” Minji whispered almost inaudibly, giving the woman’s head one last pat. The woman was about to make her way out of the room when she saw the discarded drawing of Irene laid on top of the sheets, slightly wrinkled in one corner from all the commotion. Minji sighed, gently picking up the piece of paper and flattening the edge in her hands, studying the drawing once more. The woman scanned Irene’s features, once again mesmerized by just how beautiful she was. She sighed, feeling a brief wave of jealousy wash over her. Irene had been one lucky woman to have been loved by the Princess so deeply, Minji found herself thinking. The prisoner shook her head, quickly trying to erase those thoughts from her brain. She quietly walked over to Yoohyeon’s vanity and placed the picture atop the desk before making her way to the bedroom door. In the doorframe, Minji paused, turning around and giving the Princess one last look, then made her way back towards her own room, excited to get some much needed sleep before what would likely be another taxing day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ugh i wanted nothing more than to end this chapter with minji curling up in bed with yoohyeon, but i’m trying to remind myself to be patient… their ship will sail eventually i promise!
> 
> once again, please drop your thoughts below, i love reading them!


	21. Chapter 21

Yoohyeon slowly opened her eyes the next morning, letting her eye lids flutter as she adjusted to the light streaming into her room. The first thing she noticed was the headache, a side effect of crying herself to sleep no doubt. Moments later, Yoohyeon remembered exactly _why_ she had cried herself to sleep, and felt like shedding a whole round of new tears at the thought. The Princess sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and making her way to her vanity. She frowned in the mirror, poking at her swollen eyes and cheeks in distress. Yoohyeon sighed, letting out a huff of annoyance. Her eyes flickered down to the drawing of Irene and she gingerly ran her fingers across the image, letting herself try and accept that the woman smiling back at her was gone.

“Fuck,” Yoohyeon muttered to herself. She brought her hands to her hair, gripping the strands tightly as she dropped slowly to her knees. The Princess leaned her head against the vanity and let the tears fall freely, while desperately trying to keep her sobs silent. She had no idea how to move forward. For one, her first love was gone – _dead._ And what made it even worse was that her own father had taken her from Yoohyeon. Without thinking of the repercussions, Yoohyeon slammed her fist against the drawers of the vanity, over and over. It wasn’t until the Princess had drawn her hand back that she realized the mistake. Blood dripped from her knuckles onto the floor from cuts that were now on her hand. Yoohyeon let out a pathetic whimper, quickly standing up to find a cloth to clean her fresh wounds.

After cleaning the red liquid from her hand and the floor as best she could, Yoohyeon dropped the cloth in her sink, staring into the mirror as she contemplated what to do next. Eventually, she decided on finding Minji, intent on seeking comfort from the other woman and doing something that she hoped could bring comfort to her new servant as well.

Yoohyeon made her way to the servants’ wing, walking briskly as she avoided the confused looks from the guards and servants she passed on her way. Once there, she raised her hand to knock on the closed door to where she knew Minji was staying. She paused before knocking, briefly considering that Minji may still be sleeping, or not in the room. However, she was too excited to see the girl and decided to try anyway, letting her uninjured hand knock on the door a couple times, and then stepping back from the door slightly. The Princess heard some squeaking, likely from someone moving off of their bed, and moments later a young woman opened the door, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Her confused frown was quickly replaced with a serious face as she bowed respectfully before the Princess.

“Good morning, Princess. How may I help you?”

“Morning. Is Minji here?” Yoohyeon asked, peering over the shorter woman’s shoulder to try and find the other woman.

“Yes, miss,” the woman turned away from Yoohyeon, calling out Minji’s name. “The Princess is here to see you.”

“Be right there, Shuhua,” Yoohyeon heard Minji respond from further back in the large room.  
Yoohyeon bounced up and down on her heels, impatient. Not even a minute later Minji came into view, standing next to the other servant. “Good morning, Princess,” Minji said gently, smiling hesitantly at Yoohyeon. Minji wasn’t entirely sure why the Princess had come to see her, but she couldn’t imagine Yoohyeon was in a good mood all things considered.

“Morning, Minji,” Yoohyeon said, purposefully trying to sound joyful, even if she was still emotionally exhausted from the day prior. The Princess let her eyes quickly glance over Minji, holding back a smile at the pink striped pajamas the other woman was still in. Why was she so cute, Yoohyeon thought, once again wishing they had met under different circumstances, but nonetheless happy they have found each other at all.

“What’s up?” Minji asked eventually, breaking the Princess out of her thought as she brought her eyes back to Minji’s face.

Yoohyeon smiled brightly at the casual tone Minji had used, hopeful that the woman would eventually drop the “Princess” and “your Majesty” crap in exchange for something more friend-like. “I need you. Get dressed, please?” Yoohyeon posed the statement as a question, hoping to let Minji know that she could say no, even if she hoped that Minji wouldn’t.

“Alright,” Minji nodded, “give me a few minutes.” The woman made a move from the door, giving the Princess a brief wave before turning away and breaking eye contact with Yoohyeon.

Yoohyeon waved back, and nodded at the other servant, who she had learned was named Shuhua, before turning to wait a little further down the hall. Yoohyeon made her way to a nook in the wall, sitting down on the ledge and bringing her feet onto the shelf, letting her chin rest against her knees comfortably. Yoohyeon mindlessly watched as guards walked the halls in a pattern that felt even more frequent than usual to the Princess. She eyed each guard as they passed her, gauging how they interacted with her. Most guards kept their heads focused on the path ahead, not bothering to acknowledge Yoohyeon’s presence. The ones that did would simply nod in her direction, or mumble an awkward “Hello, your Majesty” – or something to that effect – before quickly scurrying away. It wasn’t that their responses were abnormal, but with Yoohyeon learning about how her father was so cruel to the kingdom, she now could _feel_ how uncomfortable and even scared the guards seemed around her. Yoohyeon sighed, bringing her head back to lean against the wall as she closed her eyes. She had just thought that the title of _Princess_ intimidated everyone, but she was starting to think that people were downright terrified of her father and that that feeling extended to her and likely Gahyeon as well.

After a few more minutes, Yoohyeon heard the creaking of a door from down the hall, and turned her head excitedly in the direction of the noise. Once the Princess made eye contact with Minji who had stepped into the hallway she broke into an excited smile, waving Minji over.

“Hey,” Minji said sweetly when she was stood next to Yoohyeon, opting to plop down next to her on the ledge cut into the space in the wall. The two sat in silence for a few minutes. Minji swung her feet back and forth, making a repetitive pounding sound against the wall as she let her heels bounce against the surface with each swing. Yoohyeon just studied Minji, smiling softly to herself without even meaning to. “So…what had you needed me for?” Minji questioned, breaking the silence that had been starting to make her uneasy.

“Oh right! Well I had an idea…” Yoohyeon hesitated, chewing her lip between her teeth as she waited for the other woman to look at her. Minji lifted her eyes from her lap to Yoohyeon’s, tilting her head to side as she silently asked for the other woman to continue. “Do you trust me?” Yoohyeon suddenly blurted, instantly bringing her hand to her forehead as she scrunched her eyes. “Never mind…that’s a stupid question. Why would you trust me?” The Princess mumbled as she smiled apologetically at Minji. “I – just come with me, please,” Yoohyeon rushed out, quickly standing and extending her arm for the older woman to take.

“Um, okay,” Minji giggled awkwardly, slowly taking Yoohyeon’s arm.

The Princess led the pair down several corridors of the castle, weaving past guards and servants as she stared straight ahead, purposefully avoiding Minji’s questioning gaze. Minji sighed, taking in her surroundings. Unsurprisingly, the older woman had no clue where the pair were headed. The castle was huge, and most of the wings had still gone unexplored by the woman.

Eventually the two reached their destination: a door isolated from any other rooms in the castle at the end of a long hallway not far from the Princess’s own, Minji noted. Yoohyeon looked over at Minji momentarily, giving her arm a gentle squeeze before raising her free hand to knock on the door.

“It’s me, Yoohyeon!” The Princess called loudly, making sure she could be heard behind the closed door.

“Come on in,” a gruff voice answered, one that Minji immediately recognized. She tensed, turning to look into Yoohyeon’s eyes with a look of both concern and betrayal. Yoohyeon maintained her gaze ahead, opening the door and gently guiding the now terrified woman in with her.

“Hi daddy,” Yoohyeon spoke, sickeningly sweet, with a wide smile plastered on her face.

“Hello, Yooh,” the King said kindly, maneuvering so he was now seated up in his bed. He let out a barely noticeable sigh, but Yoohyeon was quick to pick up on how exhausted he looked. She frowned, worried that he didn’t seem to be getting over this “cough” very quickly.

“I wanted to talk…if you’re up for it?” Yoohyeon made her way so she was now stood in the middle of the room, a few steps from the King’s bedside, with Minji stood next to her as their arms were still linked.

The King looked between the two women, keeping his expression neutral aside from a slight raise of his brows once he fully noticed who his daughter had brought into the room with her.

“Of course, sweetheart. What’s on your mind?” The King said slowly, pulling himself up so he could stand across from the pair of women, subtly leaning against the bedpost for support. 

“Daddy, I want her chains off,” Yoohyeon announced, jutting out her lower lip as she pulled Minji to stand even closer to her, feeling the other woman tremble slightly under her father’s watchful gaze. “She’s getting better and I-I want her to feel safe. Safe with me.” While the words held a different meaning than her father would have understood them, it was true; Minji was starting to trust Yoohyeon, even if ever so slightly, and the Princess genuinely believed the other woman would never hurt her. Yoohyeon wrapped her arm around Minji’s own a little tighter, trying to bring the older woman some semblance of comfort.

The King held back a scowl, annoyed at his daughter for bringing Minji in for this conversation. He had known it was only a matter of time before his stubborn daughter asked this of him again, and it seemed the woman had done a good job of fooling his daughter into thinking she trusted her. However, he knew that there was rather little risk in unchaining her, seeing as the castle’s guards had doubled in presence recently, and it wasn’t like they had a light presence before either. In addition to that, it was clear Minji was no fighter…or at least that she was an untrained, and rather weak, one.

“Alright, Yoohyeon. I trust your judgement,” the King finally said, making his way towards a locked safe near his bed. He returned with a key moments later and made his way to stand in front of Minji. “You’re sure about this?” He asked once more, pausing to look at his daughter who was stood next to Minji, her hand still resting gently on the other woman’s upper arm.

“Yes, daddy,” Yoohyeon smiled sweetly, holding back the anger she felt over his past actions she had just learned of the day before. She had to physically bite her tongue from asking him about it…but she didn’t want to betray Minji so easily.

“Okay,” the King said, smiling at his daughter before turning back towards Minji. “Please, don’t make me regret this, Miss Kim,” the King spoke sternly, but still kind, not once letting his façade drop in front of his daughters.

Minji nodded wordlessly back at the King, unable to speak in his presence without either crying or screaming at him, and not sure which reaction would be worse. Once her wrists were free, Minji immediately brought her hands to rub against the areas, relieving the pain of having the restraints on for so long. She looked down at her hands, smiling briefly at how nice it felt, and then turned her head to look at Yoohyeon, muttering a quiet thank you before once again dropping her gaze to the floor.

“You’re welcome,” Yoohyeon smiled brightly, pulling the woman into a hug, not caring that her father was still stood in the room with them. Surprisingly, Minji didn’t tense under the embrace, and instead hesitantly wrapped her own arms around the Princess’s midsection, looking over at the King nervously. The man scowled at Minji, freely showing his distaste of the woman now that his daughter’s back was turned. Minji broke the gaze almost as quick as it started, and pulled away from Yoohyeon so that she could get a step or two further from the King.

The King continued to stare at the young woman, with furrowed brows as he began rethinking his decision to give her to his daughter. Initially, the King had thought a new distraction would get Yoohyeon to back off about matters pertaining to the kingdom, as she had become much nosier the past year or so. He also may have felt bad, even if only slightly, that he had killed that servant of hers. Granted, he only felt bad because he could tell his daughter had actually cared for her – in more than just a sexual way, which was another reason he had gifted the prisoner to Yoohyeon. However, it was clear that his daughter was being incredibly soft on Minji, seeing as she didn’t seem scared of her even in the slightest. Whatever, the King thought internally, in the end it didn’t really matter how Yoohyeon treated her, as long as she stayed out of his hair about any royal matters and stopped being sad about the servant he took from her he could consider the decision a win.

“Thanks daddy,” Yoohyeon said after Minji pulled away from her embrace, making her way over to give her father a hug as well. The King wrapped his arms around his daughter, awkwardly patting her on the back as he waited for her to release him. It wasn’t often the two shared any sort of physical affection, so he was slightly surprised by Yoohyeon’s actions.

“You’re welcome, Yoohyeon,” the King replied, “was that all you needed to discuss with me?”  
“Yep,” Yoohyeon said, nodding, “we’ll get of your hair. See you soon daddy!” The Princess released her father from the hug and retreated to stand next to Minji. She gave the older woman a gentle smile before taking her hand and leading her out of her father’s room, giving him one last wave before shutting the door. The pair continued down the hall in silence for a bit before the Princess paused, turning to smile at Minji hesitantly. “That went better than I thought…” Yoohyeon trailed off nervously, rubbing the back of Minji’s hand with her thumb subconsciously. Minji just smiled half-heartedly in return, still overwhelmed from how the Princess had just ambushed her. “Are you okay?” Yoohyeon asked then, voice full of concern as she dropped Minji’s hand.

“Y-yes, just a bit shaken up, Princess,” Minji spoke softly, lowering her head slightly.

“I’m sorry,” Yoohyeon apologized, lifting Minji’s chin gently with her fingers, “I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted those awful restraints off.” The Princess’s face twisted in disgust, a frown present as she looked at Minji ruefully.

“No, thank you for that! It’s just not easy seeing him after everything,” Minji revealed as she turned her head to the side, wiping away a tear that had escaped.

“Can I hug you, please?” Yoohyeon asked with a slight frown. Minji nodded, smiling at the Princess gratefully. Yoohyeon wasted no time in pulling Minji in, cradling her head with one arm and rubbing her back with the other.

The pair stayed like this for a few minutes until Minji eventually pulled away, saying a quiet thank you to Yoohyeon before taking the Princess’s hand in her own. Yoohyeon smiled back at her, and then brought her gaze to their intertwined hands. The smile on the Princess’s face was instantly replaced with a displeased scowl as she took in the bruises that had been left behind by the cuffs. Yoohyeon closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath to cool the anger she felt rising in her chest.

“Nothing that can be done about it now,” Minji said once she realized why Yoohyeon’s mood had changed. “Besides, they don’t really hurt.” The older woman shrugged, only partially lying. Her wrists were sore, yes, but they definitely looked worse than they felt.

“I’m so sorry, Minji,” Yoohyeon mumbled, looking into Minji’s eyes.

“It’s alright, Yoohyeon,” the older woman smiled wryly, “come on, why don’t we head back to your room?”

“Okay,” Yoohyeon agreed, beginning to lead them back towards her room, which was thankfully close to the King’s.

Once in the hallway where her and her sister’s rooms were, Yoohyeon paused, eyeing a guard stood by Gahyeon’s door. Yoohyeon squinted, trying to make out who the guard was and failing to recognize him. She trailed her gaze down his body and paused once she saw a single rose held behind his back. The Princess instantly broke into a smile, letting out a little squeal of excitement as she bounded towards the guard with Minji in tow. The boy jumped at the sudden noise, instantly turning to look in Yoohyeon’s direction.

“You must be Jungwoo!” Yoohyeon said once they were stood a few feet away from the guard.

“Uh, yes. I am,” Jungwoo bowed respectfully, “It’s nice to meet you Princess Yoohyeon.”

“Likewise,” Yoohyeon said and smirked back at the boy. “I’ve heard oh so much about you,” the Princess said mysteriously reaching out her hand for Jungwoo to shake. Jungwoo took the extended hand, bringing it up to his lips to gently press a kiss to the back of it.

Suddenly, the younger Princess’s door opened, revealing a smiling Gahyeon behind it.  
“What’s with all the commotion?” The younger Princess asked as she glanced between Jungwoo and her sister.

“Just finally getting to meet the young man you talk about so much,” Yoohyeon replied, walking over to Gahyeon to pull her into a hug.

“Watch it, sis,” Gahyeon whispered into her ear, attempting to sound as threatening as possible, “remember I can tease you too…” “Alright sorry,” Yoohyeon giggled quietly, pressing a quick kiss onto Gahyeon’s temple before pulling away.

“Hi Jungwoo,” Gahyeon mumbled sweetly, turning her attention to the young guard who was now stood with the flower in front of his chest, a dopey smile on his face as he stared at Gahyeon with heart eyes.

“Hello, Princess,” Jungwoo greeted, thrusting the flower towards Gahyeon, who smiled and brought the rose to her nose, sniffing it.

“Thank you, it’s beautiful!” Gahyeon gushed, even more excited than her usual self.

Yoohyeon smiled at the two kiddos, leaning into Minji’s side as she brought her hands to wrap around Minji’s left arm. Though she couldn’t help but be bothered that her sister was no longer a little girl, Yoohyeon was happy that Gahyeon seemed so enamored by a seemingly sweet boy.

After staring for a few more moments, Yoohyeon broke the silence saying that her and Minji needed to get going, but that it was nice meeting Jungwoo and she hoped they all could spend some time together soon.

“Of course, I would love too,” Jungwoo replied, bowing once again before the older Princess.

“Bye sis. Bye Minji,” Gahyeon said, waving at the pair as the two women bid their farewell before continuing on down to Yoohyeon’s bedroom.

Once the two were out of earshot, Yoohyeon let out another excited squeal and turned to look at Minji. “Weren’t they so cute?”

“Yes, they were,” Minji smiled up at Yoohyeon, nodding her head in agreeance.

“Ugh, they grow up so fast,” Yoohyeon spoke jokingly, pretending to wipe a tear from her cheek as she smiled goofily at Minji.

Minji laughed softly, shaking her head at Yoohyeon’s behavior, all of her fears from that morning forgotten as the pair walked arm in arm down the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay but better late than never I guess lol! Hope you enjoyed :)


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a forewarning that I only proofread this once - so there may be mistakes, but I wanted to get this out before the comeback because I know I won't be doing any work on this story for a few days because of it lol. And speaking of the comeback, who else is so freaking excited?
> 
> The dance preview for Odd Eye had me ∙d∙y∙i∙n∙g∙

One week. That’s how long Siyeon had to get anything else useful out of the small woman curled up next to her, asleep, on the couch. Or rather, five days now. She looked down at SuA, noticing her mouth had fallen open as she slept, letting out soft snores every few breathes. Siyeon shifted slightly on the couch in her place – or her pretend home – as she tried to find a way to get the woman to stop touching her. It wasn’t that she didn’t want SuA in her arms, it was actually the opposite…Siyeon had actually grown _fond_ of the tiny woman and she needed to distance herself from any emotional attachment. It was fine to cuddle while SuA was awake, after all how could she get the other woman to open up in such a short span of time without creating a physical connection? But continuing to cuddle while SuA was sleeping seemed like a bad idea.

Luckily, SuA began moving, waking up from the nap she had been taking. In her sleep she had turned even closer into Siyeon, nuzzling her face into Siyeon’s chest – right between her breasts. SuA sighed breathily, slowly opening her eyes and blinking until she regained full consciousness. The woman turned her head up to look at Siyeon, who just smiled kindly down at her.

“Good morning sleepyhead,” Siyeon mumbled jokingly, ruffling SuA’s hair as the other woman made her way to sit up, a grumpy expression on her face.

“Sorry I fell asleep…” SuA said, raising a hand to cover the yawn that escaped her mouth. The woman stretched her arms above her head, letting out a tiny squeak that Siyeon could only describe as _cute._ Ugh, Siyeon rolled her eyes internally. That was the problem. Everything about the woman sat in front of her was cute, or sweet, or some other positive adjective. How was she supposed to continue with this for another five days and then simply leave her? Likely only seeing her again if it was for an arrest, or even worse, an execution. Siyeon frowned at the thought, slightly disturbed that she would be betraying this woman in the matter of a few days.

“What’s with the sour look?” SuA asked groggily, stirring the other woman from her thoughts.

“Oh nothing, just trying to decide what to make for dinner,” Siyeon spoke, breaking into a grin. “You’ll stay right, please?” The woman gave SuA her best puppy dog eyes, having noticed that she seemed to be especially effected by Siyeon’s attempts at being cute.

“I’d love to,” SuA replied, smiling widely back at Siyeon and pulling her in for a quick hug.

“Good, let’s go find something to eat,” Siyeon commanded, standing from the couch and pulling SuA with her. It had become increasingly clear to Siyeon over the past few days that SuA had some sort of…feelings…for her. Though she couldn’t be sure if those feelings were romantic or sexual or simply admiration, Siyeon couldn’t deny it made her incredibly uncomfortable. Granted, she had essentially signed up for this, but it didn’t change that she simply wished she got in and out with the necessary information without having to build this bond with the other woman.

SuA followed along behind Siyeon, bouncing up and down with wide steps as she kept pace with the much taller woman leading her to the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, Siyeon began pulling out the food she had on hand, looking at SuA to help decide what to eat.

“This looks good,” SuA said, pointing at some fruit that Siyeon had pulled out of a cabinet. Siyeon nodded, setting aside the berries and apples and putting the rest of the food away for now. The guard carried the food and some plates to the kitchen table, pulling out a chair for SuA to sit and then a chair for herself.

“So…what were your plans for the rest of the day?” Siyeon asked, munching into the apple as she looked at SuA curiously.

“Not much!” SuA replied in between bites of her own fruit. She then paused, scratching her head in thought. “Actually, I guess I do need to meet up with a um – friend, later.”

“Oh yeah, what about?” Siyeon asked, raising a brow, hoping that SuA was referencing something pertaining to Wheein, and if so that maybe she could get SuA to open up about it.

“Nothing important,” SuA commented vaguely, shrugging her shoulders up as she spoke.

“A big secret huh?” Siyeon joked, giving the other woman a friendly smirk.

“No! No, it’s just…well I guess yeah it is kind of is…” SuA trailed off, smiling awkwardly as she began fidgeting with her fingers on top of the table.

“Meeting a lover maybe,” Siyeon said suggestively, winking at a now flustered SuA.

“That’s – no, that’s definitely not it,” SuA declared, wildly waving her hands, “I’m very much available!”

Siyeon let out a laugh, and it came much more naturally than she would have even anticipated. “Well, I’m glad to hear that,” Siyeon said once she had controlled her giggling.

SuA blinked once, twice at Siyeon’s words, absorbing just exactly what the other woman had said. She then laughed, slightly embarrassed, turning her gaze away from Siyeon’s down towards her half-eaten plate of berries.

“So, what is then? Please tell, I’m curious!” Siyeon whined, jutting her lower lip out cutely at SuA once the other woman looked back up at her face.

“Um I guess I can share…” SuA said nervously, her eyes quickly darting around the room as if she was afraid someone was hiding around the corner. Siyeon smiled at SuA, gently encouraging her to continue. The other woman took a deep breath and closed her eyes momentarily. “Alright. Have you by chance heard about the uh, rebellion I guess it would be called, forming against the royal family?”

“Briefly, yes,” Siyeon replied, sitting forward in her seat, pretending to be caught off guard by the information. “I’ve heard some murmurings about the movement gaining quite a lot of momentum recently…”

“Yes, that’s true…Do you by chance remember the friend I told you about a while back? The one who was taken into custody by the guard, Minji?”

“I do,” Siyeon nodded seriously, “have you received an update on her wellbeing?”  
“Oh, no,” SuA shook her head softly, “well, she was actually a pretty big part of the rebellion. Her parents actually started it…”

“Wow,” Siyeon exclaimed in faux shock, “that’s incredible! She sounds like such a brave woman. Hopefully I get to meet her one day.” Siyeon smiled softly at SuA, reaching her hand out to give SuA’s a comforting squeeze.

“Mmhmm, she’s amazing,” SuA said, eyes shining with a fondness for her best friend. “And actually after she was taken into custody I sort of filled her role in the rebellion. That’s what I’m meeting about with my friend later…” SuA trailed off, staring into Siyeon’s eyes to gauge her reaction. It wasn’t that SuA was necessarily worried that Siyeon would disapprove, after all the other woman had made it clear on several occasions that she disliked the King. However, not supporting the King in theory and being part of the rebellion were very different things. Being part of the rebellion was _dangerous,_ and SuA couldn’t help but fear that Siyeon may distance herself from SuA as a result.

“Oh wow, that’s – that’s very courageous of you, SuA!” Siyeon commended, rubbing the back of SuA’s hand soothingly with her thumb.

“Not really. I’m just doing what Minji would have done for me.” SuA blushed, ducking her head as she bit back a smile. “We are planning to get her back, that is if she’s still alive. And my life is basically meaningless without her.”

“How can I help?” Siyeon asked, full of enthusiasm. She perked up in her chair, excited that SuA was finally opening up to her.

“No, that’s quite alright. There’s no need to put you in any danger,” SuA spoke, shaking her head at Siyeon’s suggestion. “Thank you though.”  
“Please? I know we haven’t known each other long, but it’s a noble cause and I’m sure you need as many hands as you can get.” Though Siyeon was essentially lying through her teeth, some of the words rung true. She fully understood _why_ people were revolting against the King, and it was also true that even though the rebellion had grown in numbers, she seriously doubted they could overpower the royal guard without some serious luck.

“I’m not sure...” SuA said hesitantly, both because she didn’t want to put Siyeon in any danger and because she didn’t know how Wheein would feel about her disclosing too much information with someone who was essentially a stranger. Though SuA trusted Siyeon almost fully, she couldn’t help but hear a paranoid voice in the back of her head that sounded quite a lot like Minji’s urging her to be careful of who she puts her trust into. In the end though, SuA’s trusting nature and her tendency to believe people usually meant well won out. She clarified that Siyeon couldn’t have any part in the rebellion – at least not until she spoke with Wheein, but she did disclose their plan to invade the castle.

Siyeon listened intently, taking mental notes of all the names, dates, and details SuA mentioned, which unfortunately for the guard wasn’t much. SuA kept it brief, only sharing an overview of how her and Wheein were hoping to overtake the castle from within, free Minji and anyone else who may be in captivity, and assassinate the King as well as his daughters if need be while there; effectively gaining control of the Kingdom. Siyeon held back a frown, seeing as all of this was information she could have concluded on her own. However, SuA did say that the tentative date for this attack was a week from tomorrow, and that the “headquarters” of sorts for the rebellion were in a run-down shack coincidentally not far from Siyeon’s own. Siyeon had even seen the small house before; it was inconspicuous, and Siyeon couldn’t help but applaud whomever was in charge of choosing the location. The royal guards had spent months searching for the rebellion’s base location and had never had any success. Luckily for Siyeon, SuA had just given it to her freely.

“That’s quite a lot to take in…” Siyeon disclosed once SuA had finished explaining the rebellion’s upcoming plans. She sat back in her chair, running a hand through her knotted hair.

“Yeah,” SuA replied unsure of herself, giving Siyeon a half smile, half frown.

“It’s not a bad thing though. Just surprising from you is all!” Siyeon replied, trying to ease SuA’s obvious nerves around having talked so openly about the rebellion.

“Oh yeah?” SuA asked. “How so?”  
“Just wouldn’t have imagined you to be so involved in the movement, but after hearing your story regarding Minji and how much she means to you it all makes a lot of sense.”

“Yeah, like I said earlier, Minji would do the same for me…”

“It sounds like she would,” Siyeon agreed, nodding her head at SuA’s words.

Conversation trailed off into lighter topics after that. Each woman talked a little bit more about their likes and hobbies, life growing up, and other things of that nature. After what had been another hour or so of talking, SuA announced she needed to get going, so that she could prepare for her meeting with Wheein later that evening.

“Alright, I’ll walk you out,” Siyeon said, holding out her hand for SuA to take, which she happily did. The pair made their way to the front door, hand in hand, and paused at the threshold face to face.

SuA smiled softly at Siyeon, and lifted herself up onto her tip toes and planted a quick kiss on Siyeon’s cheek, awfully close to her lips. Siyeon momentarily felt SuA’s warm breath on her mouth, and she involuntarily tensed from the intimate gesture.   
“Thanks for being there for me,” SuA said as she pulled away, giving the other woman a shy smile.

“Y-you’re welcome,” Siyeon stuttered out, slightly caught off guard by the almost kiss.

“We’ll talk tomorrow?” SuA questioned hopefully.

“Of course,” Siyeon nodded. SuA smiled widely at Siyeon’s answer and made her way out the door, practically skipping down the path that led away from Siyeon’s house.

Siyeon watched as SuA bounded away, waiting until she was out of sight before closing the door and making her way to her bed, falling onto it as she let out an annoyed huff. She mentally ran through everything her and SuA had talked about earlier that day in regards to the rebellion’s plan to attack the palace. Siyeon quickly rolled over onto her side and grabbed a pen and paper from her bedside table, jotting down the dates and location she had learned of. She knew the King would find those details useful, and a small smile made its way onto her face in relief that she hadn’t failed this mission after all.

Moments after the feelings of joy and relief, she was met with another wave of emotions – one that felt a lot like sadness and regret. She set the pen and paper down, once again dropping onto her back as she chewed her lip thoughtfully. Siyeon knew that as soon as the King learned of the rebellion’s headquarters he would make a move, which would probably include burning the place to the ground, possibly with SuA locked inside of it. “Fuck,” she muttered under her breath, running a hand along her face. Siyeon mentally weighed her options. The King or that boy guard that visited her had never indicated she was to return to the palace if she learned of anything useful, just that the boy would come back every few days to check in. He wasn’t due to come back until the morning after next, which sounded a hell of a lot nicer to Siyeon than making the journey back to the castle this evening. For one thing, Siyeon was tired as it had been a long day, but more importantly Siyeon couldn’t help but maybe feel a _little_ upset at the thought of never seeing SuA again. Or worse, seeing SuA when she was in uniform next to the King delivering SuA to her death. Siyeon laughed, internally chastising herself for getting attached. She knew coming into the mission what her goals were, and the dangers this woman brought to the royal order, so she truly had no reason to be a baby about it now. Maybe it was the way SuA was so quick to trust her, something that only Dami had ever given her, or how SuA constantly pulled her into affectionate hugs and held her hands, something _no one_ had ever given her, or maybe Siyeon was just tired of all the royal guard bullshit she was forced to do, but nonetheless she knew that she would actually miss this – miss SuA…

Not wanting to dwell on such silly thoughts for too long, Siyeon pulled herself out of bed and made her way to the bathroom, deciding it was as good a time as ever to wash up and get into pajamas for the evening. She had decided there wasn’t any harm in waiting to share this information with the King until her next check in, seeing as the attack was planned for next week at the earliest. Plus, she could easily fib, and say she had only learned of the information late the night before, and the King would have no reason to suspect otherwise; she had always been a loyal and very trustworthy guard of his.

After getting showered for the evening, Siyeon made her way to the bedroom, pulling a book from the shelf that had been left by whoever lived here before her and bringing it to bed. She needed to get her mind off of SuA and the rebellion, so she decided on doing some reading before trying to sleep, knowing she wanted to be well rested so she could enjoy one last relaxing day with the woman she had unintentionally grown quite fond of.

\--- --- --- ---

Back at the castle, Yoohyeon, Minji, Gahyeon, and Jungwoo were sat eating dinner. Not even a day after meeting the boy and Yoohyeon had basically forced Gahyeon to invite him to spend the next day with her and her sister – and Minji of course because there was no way Yoohyeon would be anyone’s third wheel.

Conversation had been flowing rather easily, much to Yoohyeon’s pleasure, and she had gotten to learn quite a bit about Jungwoo. The Princess couldn’t deny the boy was charming, but he did seem rather shy and sweet, so Yoohyeon wasn’t too worried about him and Gahyeon’s blossoming relationship. However, Gahyeon was still her little sister, and she couldn’t help but be slightly wary of anyone trying to get close to her.

“The three of us had some great times growing up!” Jungwoo stated, finishing up telling the others about some of his childhood memories he shared with him and his two brothers.

“Yeah, having a sibling is great! I don’t know where I’d be without Yooh,” Gahyeon said, smiling fondly at her sister, who was sat across from her.

Yoohyeon smiled back at her little sister, and then quickly diverted her eyes to Minji, knowing this must be a sensitive topic for her since she had lost her only brother. However, Minji showed no signs of discomfort, instead smiling at Gahyeon and starting up a conversation of her own with the younger girl. Yoohyeon smiled in relief, happy the two seemed to be continuing to get along.

Things had been going well for the Princess and Minji since the other woman had finally convinced Yoohyeon of the evils her father had brought upon the kingdom. Granted only a day, now almost two, had passed, but the pair had once again fallen into a comfortable routine. Yoohyeon had burst into tears once at random, thinking about how Irene was gone, but Minji had been quick to console her by wrapping the Princess into a warm hug as she let her cry into her shoulder. Other than that, the two hadn’t really discussed anything pertaining to the situation. Yoohyeon was unsure where she should go from here, and considering her father was still recovering from being sick, it wasn’t like she had gotten the opportunity to bring it up with him. However, Yoohyeon didn’t even know if she would bring the topic up to her father, seeing as Minji had basically begged her not to the other day. So it seemed the two women were essentially at a standstill, but the Princess was just grateful Minji seemed comfortable with her again and no longer shied away from her affectionate touches or spoke with short, uninterested responses.

“What about you, Princess Yoohyeon?” Jungwoo asked, breaking the Princess out of her thoughts.

“Sorry, what did you say?” Yoohyeon asked, blushing a deep shade of crimson once she realized she had zoned out for long enough to lose track of the conversation.

“I had just asked what your plans for the day were!” Jungwoo said, giving the Princess a kind smile.

“Oh, okay!” Yoohyeon said, before beginning to list her plans for the rest of day and the weekend.

Minji smiled at Yoohyeon’s enthusiasm for rather dull tasks, and stood up to clear the empty plates that now sat in front of everyone at the table.

“Thanks, Minji,” Gahyeon said softly, so as not to interrupt her sister, when Minji picked her plate up. Minji smiled down at the young Princess briefly, giving her shoulder a gentle pat before clearing the other plates and carrying them over to the sink. As Minji began washing the dishes, she heard Yoohyeon in the background continuing to babble on, talking about things that she was certain Jungwoo could care less about, but to his credit, he did appear interested enough.

When the young guard let out a laugh at something Yoohyeon said, Minji turned to look back towards the table where the three of them were still sat. At the same time, Jungwoo reached his hand out and laid it on Gahyeon’s upper thigh. Minji was able to catch the action from her angle, and she immediately looked over to Gahyeon, who briefly tensed and frowned from the action, but was quick to return her expression to a neutral one as she laid her hand over Jungwoo’s, removing his hand from her leg. Minji frowned, glancing over at Yoohyeon, who didn’t seem to have noticed anything as she was still engaged in a lively conversation with Jungwoo, smiling brightly as she talked about something she was clearly very passionate about. Minji sighed under her breath, returning her attention to the dishes. She debated whether she should mention anything to Yoohyeon when the two of them were alone, but she decided it ultimately wasn’t any of her business. Then again, she could see how caught off guard Gahyeon seemed, and possibly even slightly uncomfortable, so she figured she could bring it up with the younger girl when the two of them spent some alone time together, as they had been doing increasingly often.

“Minji, you don’t need to the dishes. Come back please,” Yoohyeon requested, having just noticed that the older woman had gotten up from the table to clean up after all of them.

“It’s quite alright. I don’t mind,” Minji replied, not bothering to turn around, smiling to herself at how whiny the Princess sounded. Suddenly Minji felt a pair of hands land on her hips and a body press up gently against her back. The older woman would have jumped, but she heard the Princess’s voice momentarily after, announcing that if Minji wouldn’t stop doing chores than she would help. Minji chuckled, turning in Yoohyeon’s grasp, handing the woman a towel. “Alright, you can start drying then,” she directed, looking up at Yoohyeon before moving her to the other side of the sink, ultimately forcing Yoohyeon to drop her hands from Minji’s sides.

“Okay,” Yoohyeon chirped, taking the towel from Minji and picking up the wet dishes, meticulously drying each one before setting it in its correct cupboard. Yoohyeon smiled slightly, realizing that a few weeks ago she wouldn’t have had the slightest clue where anything went. However, she had been spending so much time in the kitchen learning to cook for Minji that she had started to get a grasp of the space. Yoohyeon wouldn’t deny that she thoroughly enjoyed having people wait on her hand and foot, but she could also admit to herself that it was kind of nice to feel like she could do some things on her own if need be.

“Alright, well I think the two of us will be headed out unless you need some help?” Gahyeon asked, breaking the pair from their little moment.

“No that’s quite alright, Gahyeon. I think your sister and I can manage,” Minji said, turning to give the younger girl a smile.

“Thanks for the dinner. I had a good time,” Jungwoo commented, bowing slightly towards Yoohyeon.

“It’s our pleasure, Jungwoo! I hope we get to do this again soon,” Yoohyeon replied, waving at the pair as Gahyeon gingerly took hold of Jungwoo’s hand, leading him out of the kitchen with her.

Yoohyeon turned around towards Minji once the two were out of sight, having just finished putting away the last of the dishes. “That was a nice time, wasn’t it?” Yoohyeon asked of the older woman, walking towards her to take Minji’s hand in her own, playing with her fingers as she smiled down at the slightly shorter woman.

“Yes, it was,” Minji agreed. And it was true, she had enjoyed spending time with the three of them. Minji was more comfortable with Yoohyeon than she had ever been and she loved Princess Gahyeon; the girl was just too cute and sweet for her own good. Even Jungwoo seemed nice enough, considering she was quite wary of any and all members of the royal guard.

Once the table had been wiped and everything was put away, Minji and Yoohyeon made their way back to Minji’s room. Yoohyeon quickly glanced at the woman who had her arm linked through her own, and smiled down at her. The Princess couldn’t stop the butterflies from forming in her stomach as Minji grinned back at her. Neither woman said a word the entire way back to the room, but for Yoohyeon, simply being in Minji’s presence was enough for her to be content.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos and comment if you're enjoying (or even if you're not, I'm also open to constructive criticism)
> 
> Let's work hard for our girls and get them this first win !!


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. For some reason I had a hard time writing the jiyoo part of this chapter and decided to jump ahead and start some future chapters until my writer's block cleared haha

“Thanks for spending the day with me and my sister – and Minji!” Gahyeon said, smiling up at the taller boy stood across from her.

After dinner, the pair had made their way hand in hand towards the guards’ wing of the castle. The younger Princess had insisted she walked him back to his room before heading back to her own bedroom for the night.

“It was my pleasure, Princess Gahyeon. Your sister is way less intimidating than I had thought she would be. She’s actually really nice,” Jungwoo chuckled awkwardly, rubbing his hand along the nape of his neck as he smiled at the girl.

“Of course she is,” Gahyeon rolled her eyes half-heartedly as her lips twitched involuntarily into a smile. “Yoohyeon is harmless! Also, please drop the whole Princess thing, at least with me…”

“I’m not sure that’s a good – “

“Please,” Gahyeon begged, her lower lip jutting out as she batted her eyelashes flirtatiously at the guard. “At least when it’s just us?”

“I guess I could,” Jungwoo nodded apprehensively, “but only when we’re alone. Okay, Gahyeon?” Jungwoo licked his lips nervously, as he tested out how it felt to speak the girl’s name informally.

The Princess’s reaction was instant. She let out a girlish squeal and brought her arms up to wrap around his neck, pulling him into a hug. She felt his hands casually land on her back, awfully close to her ass. Gahyeon blushed immediately, momentarily burying her head against him as she tried to get the flush to disperse from her cheeks. She smiled into his chest, thinking about how nice it felt to be held like this. He made her undeniably giddy, and even though she hadn’t done _anything_ with a boy, she couldn’t stop thinking it would be nice to at least kiss him.

So she did.

The girl had to reach up onto her tiptoes so she could connect her lips to his. The kiss was short, just a peck, but it was enough for now. She pulled away quickly after, ducking her head as she avoided the other boy’s eyes. Jungwoo smiled down on Gahyeon, both caught off guard and pleased that the Princess had made the first move. He cleared his throat, hoping to gain Gahyeon’s attention. And it worked, the girl nervously lifting her head to look into Jungwoo’s eyes. Once the Princess saw the happy expression on the older boy’s face, she let out a sigh of relief, letting the corners of her lips lift up into a shy smile.

“That was a nice goodnight, thanks Gahyeon,” Jungwoo said taking the Princess’s hands in his own and giving them a gentle squeeze as he winked at her.

“Y-yeah, I think so too,” Gahyeon stuttered, playfully swinging their connected hands side to side. She smiled back at him, surprised with herself that she had just kissed him. The Princess didn’t regret it, but that was her first kiss and though it was nice…it wasn’t what she had thought it would be. Gahyeon had read endless love stories, oftentimes forcing Yoohyeon to read her silly fairytales as a small child, and kisses seemed so much bigger in those books. The characters would talk about fireworks, and how even one kiss left them feeling in love, but Gahyeon just felt _nice._

“Does that work?” Jungwoo repeated, abruptly breaking the Princess from her thoughts.

“Huh?” Gahyeon asked, refocusing her gaze and attention on the boy in front of her.

“I said, could we meet again tomorrow evening and share dinner, just us two?” Jungwoo asked gently.

“Yes, I would love that!” Gahyeon answered quickly, already excited at the idea of spending more time with the boy.

“Okay, I look forward to it then, Gahyeon,” Jungwoo said, emphasizing the usage of just her first name as he dropped the Princess’s hands, bowing his head slightly.

“Okay, bye,” Gahyeon said sweetly, bringing her hand up to wave at the boy as he turned, making his way to a door halfway down the hall that Gahyeon suspected must be his bedroom.

“Bye!” He called over his shoulder, pausing in the doorway to smile briefly at the girl before stepping into the room, and consequently disappearing from the Princess’s line of sight.

Gahyeon stood in place for a moment, smiling contently as she stared at the empty hallway, lost in thought about how well the night went. Jungwoo seemed to like Yoohyeon, and even more importantly, Yoohyeon seemed to like him back. The Princess knew her sister wouldn’t dislike Jungwoo once she got to know him, but she had still been a little nervous to have them meet. After all, Yoohyeon’s opinion was very important to Gahyeon, and had she not liked him, she would have cut ties with the boy immediately, even if it would have made her sad to do so.

Eventually, Gahyeon broke herself from her thoughts, and started to make her way back to her own side of the castle, pausing when she saw a familiar face appear from a room a few doors down from where she stood.

“Dami!” the Princess said giddily, excited to run into the guard again. Though the two had only talked for a moment, Gahyeon acted as if she had known the other woman her whole life, skipping up to the other woman who had turned her head towards the Princess.

After a brief moment of confusion, Dami sighed, immediately recognizing the figure bouncing towards her as the Princess.

“Hello, Princess Gahyeon. What brings you over here?” Dami asked, as she raised her brow suspiciously at the young girl. Normally the guard wouldn’t question a member of the royal family, but the younger Princess was a child – and an unaccompanied one at that. The guard also couldn’t help but be a little curious about what the Princess was up to, not that she would ever admit that to anyone though.

“Oh, just meeting with a friend!” Gahyeon said dismissively, as she slowed her pace to walk, having finally reached where the other woman was standing. “How have you been?”

“I’m alright…” Dami said vaguely, glancing the Princess up and down briefly. “How are you Princess?” It only seemed polite to ask the question in return, but Dami was still uneasy around the King’s daughters and it took everything in her to not just bid the girl a goodbye and walk away.

“I’m good! Been pretty busy lately though,” Gahyeon replied, her smile increasing ten-fold as Dami simply nodded in return, giving the Princess a tight-lipped smile as she subtly took a retreating step.

“I’m glad to hear that Princess...” Dami stared blankly at Gahyeon, hoping the girl would simply grow tired of her company and be on her way. And luckily for the guard, Gahyeon did announce she would be headed off; giving the excuse that it was getting late and she was tired.

“Goodnight, Dami. Sleep well!” Gahyeon called over her shoulder kindly as she made her way down the hall, off to her room so she could get ready for bed.

“Thanks, you too, Princess,” Dami stated back, letting a sigh of relief pass through her lips as she made her way back to her room. Once there she opened the door and made her way to the bed closest to the back wall of the room, giving the other temporarily abandoned bed a wistful glance as she passed it. Dami frowned momentarily, thinking about how lonely things had been without Siyeon for these past few weeks. The guard shook her head, trying to dispel the sad thoughts from her head. She’ll be back soon, Dami reminded herself, finding comfort in that fact as she made her way to the bathroom attached to the space, quickly undressing as she hopped into the shower. The guard smiled, content under the warm spray of water as she washed herself, praying that Siyeon’s mission finished well and she could come back soon. She really missed that damn woman.

\--- --- --- ---

Once Minji and Yoohyeon made it back into the Princess’s room, the two sat down on Yoohyeon’s bed, with about a foot or so of space in between them. They had yet to get back to the comfort level the two had shared with one another before the rebellion was first brought up – that same day Minji had slapped Yoohyeon and the two shared some harsh words, but things had slowly grown less tense between them.

“I’m exhausted,” Yoohyeon said, breaking the silence.

“Me as well,” Minji agreed, nodding her head as she watched the Princess lean against the headboard of her bed, letting her eyes fall closed.

“I can’t believe my sister has a boyfriend,” Yoohyeon said with an expression mixed between happiness and uneasiness on her face. “She even got one before me…well, a relationship in general, I don’t even know if I would want a boyfriend or a girlfriend.”  
Minji tilted her head to the side, surprised by the Princess’s words. She had assumed that Yoohyeon was well, _gay,_ considering what she had learned about her feelings for her previous servant. “Oh?” Minji said, “were you and Irene not dating?” The older woman chewed her lip, hoping bringing up the woman wouldn’t upset Yoohyeon too much.

“No,” Yoohyeon said softly, shaking her head, “we never really um, discussed what we were or what we were doing.” She gave Minji a sad smile, wrapping her arms around her torso in hopes the action may relieve the ache in her chest.

“Ah,” Minji replied quietly, averting her gaze from the other woman.

“Yeah, part of me wishes I had told her that I um, loved her, but I guess I’ll never have the chance now…” Yoohyeon trailed off sadly, letting a tear roll silently down her cheek at the thought of the other woman dying without Irene knowing just how much she cared for her.  
“I’m so sorry, Yoohyeon. I can only imagine how hard that must be,” Minji spoke with a tenderness the Princess had never heard from her before and Yoohyeon smiled gratefully at the older woman.

“It’s alright. Her and I would have never worked out in the long run anyway…” Yoohyeon looked down as she said the words, knowing it was the truth. She knew that similar to the situation with Irene, her growing feelings for Minji would likely also only cause her hardship. For one, it didn’t seem to the Princess that Minji felt any sort of feelings for her, and two, with what she learned about her father she couldn’t imagine a future where her and Minji could be in love publicly anyway.

“Why is that?” Minji asked.

“I just think I’ll be forced to marry a Prince one day,” Yoohyeon shrugged, looking up at Minji. “Or at least someone of higher standing than Irene was…My father has always pushed the importance of hierarchies like that.” Yoohyeon smiled sadly.

“Speaking of your father…” Minji said slowly, worried it may be too soon to reintroduce the topic of him to the Princess.

Yoohyeon sighed, having a bad feeling about where the conversation may be headed, but nonetheless encouraging Minji to continue with a wave of her hand.

“Can we talk about him? About the rebellion? I know you may still be…overwhelmed,” Minji spoke hesitantly, trying to be extra careful and considerate about her word choice, “with everything you learned about Irene and his um – personality, but I can’t just sit around here forever and not bring it up. I can’t be here forever…”

Yoohyeon looked back at Minji, not liking what Minji seemed to be insinuating. Did Minji want to leave her, Yoohyeon thought sadly. Immediately she reprimanded herself, of course she wants to leave you, you idiot. She’s a fucking prisoner here…

“Princess?” Minji repeated, breaking the other woman out of her sudden realization that Minji likely wanted nothing to do with her.

“It’s safer for you here,” Yoohyeon said with a pout, choosing to focus only on the second half of Minji’s words. “I don’t want to let you go…” Yoohyeon mumbled under her breath, just too quietly for Minji to hear.

“Hmm? I missed that last part,” Minji said, her brow creasing deeply as she frowned over at Yoohyeon.

“N-nothing,” Yoohyeon cut in quickly, “I just – yes, we can talk about the rebellion. Um…will you tell me about it?”

“Sure Princess,” Minji said, smiling slightly at her and taking a deep breath. “As I’m sure you may have guessed by now, the rebellion was set into motion because of how your father treats people in the kingdom. The ultimate goal if you will is to uh – remove him from power and give the people freedom and safety.” Minji purposefully left out just exactly _how_ the rebellion planned on taking the King from the throne, which was killing him, thinking that may be too much for the Princess to take in. Minji was also still not entirely trusting of the Princess either. Granted, she seemed genuinely upset at the idea that her father is mistreating people, but Minji couldn’t be sure Yoohyeon wouldn’t ultimately side with her father if it came down to it. Minji did believe she was safe here for now – Yoohyeon seemed to care about her too much to willingly let the King or any of the guards bring harm to her, but she didn’t believe the Princess would protect the townspeople in general.

“Yeah that sounds like a pretty common goal for a rebellion…I’ve read about this sort of thing in several books – both historical and fictional stories – and the rebels always want power,” Yoohyeon spoke matter of factly, nodding her head at Minji’s words.

“Yes they do,” Minji agreed. “However, we want power to make the Kingdom better, Princess. We aren’t power hungry. Hell, I want nothing to do with royalty,” Minji scoffed at the term, “I actually think the kingdom would be better off run by the people. All royals are the same anyway…Once they get into power they stop caring about those beneath them,” Minji spoke angrily, clenching her fists by her sides. And for Minji that was all she knew. She couldn’t remember much about life before the plague, and all she knew was a King that only cared about himself. That was where she had differed from her parents. They had believed that a new King or Queen could lead the kingdom in a peaceful way, and as a child Minji had agreed, but now that she was full grown she couldn’t help but view anyone in a position of power as uncontrollable and dangerous.

Yoohyeon flinched at Minji’s tone, caught off guard by the anger present on the other woman’s face. While Yoohyeon didn’t necessarily feel like the words had been directed at her, she couldn’t help but think that Minji would never really trust her or see her as a person that could be good. The Princess chewed her lip, desperately trying to hold back the tears that she could feel forming, sad that this is what Minji has thought of her, or at least people like her, for all this time.

“I’m sorry, Minji,” Yoohyeon whimpered, wiping at her eyes. “I’m sorry for everything you’ve been through and I know doesn’t make it better, but I wish it did.”

Minji blinked, returning her focus to the teary-eyed woman in front of her. She sighed, reaching out a hand to rest it on top of Yoohyeon’s own. “You’re right, Princess. Your words mean nothing, but your actions _can_ make a difference…In fact, they already have. The fact that you’re listening to me and _believing_ me is a step in the right direction,” Minji said in a stern, but still hopefully kind tone.

“I want to make it right. For you and for my people, but I don’t know how to do it…” Yoohyeon sighed, bringing her other hand to rest on top of Minji’s, grateful that the other woman was trying to comfort her even though Yoohyeon felt she didn’t deserve to be comforted. The Princess began reflecting on just how _blind_ she had been to everything that was going on around her. The signs were there. She was never allowed to leave the palace’s grounds. Her father despised how her and Gahyeon would try and build bonds with those working in the castle. She didn’t even have a chance to say goodbye to Irene. Hell, her father didn’t even acknowledge her _pain_ at having the woman being taken from her.

“I don’t know either Princess, but I do believe I should warn you that the rebellion is growing. With or without me they will win eventually. And you better be prepared to answer for your father’s actions. The people believe you and your sister are involved, or at least passively letting his way of ruling slide, and it won’t be pretty for you when we win,” Minji revealed. And it was true. When Wonwoo had been in charge he was adamant that no harm come to Princess Yoohyeon and Princess Gahyeon. However, almost everyone else in the rebellion’s ranks felt differently, believing they deserved death just as much as their father. Even Minji had believed this before getting to know the two girls. Granted, Wonwoo was so well respected within the movement that it was unlikely anyone would have crossed his wishes and physically harmed the King’s daughters, but with him no longer being in charge, Minji was quite certain that if people in the rebellion had the chance, that they would kill the Princesses without hesitation.

“What?” Yoohyeon tensed immediately with the new information. Though she had begun to think that people feared and despised her, by the way she was treated by the guards and servants in the castle anyway, she didn’t really consider the potential consequences of those feelings. “B-but I didn’t do anything wrong…I haven’t even been allowed to leave the castle ever since the plague! Why would people assume I’m involved?”  
“They don’t know you,” Minji shrugged nonchalantly, as if the answer was obvious, “so why would they believe you are any better than your father?”

“And Gahyeon? She’s just a _child_ , Minji,” Yoohyeon exclaimed, worried even more so for her sister’s well-being than her own. She could handle scrutiny and the hate she assumed would come her way – for the Princess had yet to even consider the rebellion may want to kill any of her family – but Gahyeon would be absolutely heartbroken at knowing people thought so lowly of her. The younger girl had always been so sensitive, so innocent, and she wanted everyone to love her as much as she loved them. Though Yoohyeon was no saint – she knew she had been an asshole to many a palace worker in the past, Gahyeon didn’t have a bad bone in her body and wouldn’t hurt anyone, ever.

“Same reason for Gahyeon. She is fifteen after all, Princess. Not five,” Minji said, holding back an eye roll at the Princess’s shock. The older woman was trying to be sympathetic; she knew this was a lot to take in. But the keyword there was _trying,_ and Minji was currently failing.

“Well that’s unfair!” Yoohyeon complained, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Her face formed into an almost child-like pout, and the action reminded Minji once again of just how easy things had been for the Princess for most of her life.

“I never said it was fair, Yoohyeon. But it is the truth, and I just thought it would be nice to share it with you,” Minji bit back, mirroring Yoohyeon’s pose from her spot on the other end of the bed.

Yoohyeon held Minji’s gaze, her own eye’s squinting as she thought over everything she had learned. Eventually, the Princess let out an exhausted sigh, and slouched further into the bed, bringing her arms up to rub at her temples. “Maybe I should talk to my father…” Yoohyeon mumbled, frustrated with everything.

“No!” Minji practically yelled, leaping across the bed so she was sat closer to the Princess, so that she could lay her hands on the other woman’s knees. “Please don’t. Your father doesn’t care about the people, Yoohyeon. That’s the whole point of the rebellion. If talking would have worked we would have just done that.”

Yoohyeon flinched at the panic in Minji’s tone, bringing her eyes up to meet Minji’s own. The older woman’s eyes were wide, desperate. The two sat staring at one another in silence for a few minutes, until Yoohyeon let out a huff, finally relenting.

“So, what, I’m just supposed to pretend I don’t know about what my father has done?”

“Yes?” Minji said softly, “At least for now, please. I promise I’ll think of something, but just please, don’t say anything, for me…” The older woman tightened her grip on Yoohyeon’s knees, hoping that the woman wouldn’t go against her wishes. Minji didn’t really know what the King would do if he found out the Princess knew everything, but she didn’t want to test him. Then again, the older woman wondered what exactly the King expected would happen when he left her and the Princess alone together. Granted, Minji started off with having no intentions of speaking on these matters with Yoohyeon, considering she was absolutely terrified of the woman before even meeting her, but the dorky girl had eventually won Minji over, and she actually started to trust Yoohyeon with these details regarding the rebellion, even if she was exercising some caution with which details she shared.

“Ok, Minji. If you think that’s best. I can keep it between us. And if I’m being honest, I have no plans on speaking about any of this with Gahyeon. She doesn’t need to be involved.”

“I agree,” Minji nodded, smiling sweetly at Yoohyeon.

“So…if we’ve agreed to put this topic on pause for now, can we talk about something else please?” Yoohyeon asked uncertainly, glancing at Minji’s hands on her knees briefly before returning her focus to Minji’s eyes.

“Sure, Princess. What did you have in mind?” Minji said casually, releasing a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. She sat back onto her knees, dropping her hands from where they were laid on Yoohyeon’s legs and bringing them to her sides.

“Well I um,” Yoohyeon started, letting out a nervous chuckle as she wrung her hands in her lap, “I’ve been wanting to ask you to call me Yoohyeon, or maybe even just Yooh, but I didn’t know if you would be comfortable with that yet.”  
Minji let out a surprised laugh, shaking her head and reaching her hand out to poke at Yoohyeon’s cheek for a brief moment. “You’re so cute,” the shorter woman mumbled without thinking, grinning at the way Yoohyeon buried her head in her hands. “And yes, I can drop the Princess and just call you Yoohyeon.”

“Thanks,” Yoohyeon muttered from behind her hands.

Minji sat back and stared at the Princess, chewing her lip in thought. When Yoohyeon didn’t uncover her face, Minji eventually decided to make a move. So she crawled over next to the Princess and gently pried the woman’s hands off her face, cuddling into Yoohyeon’s side. She hesitantly lowered her head onto Yoohyeon’s shoulder. “This okay?” Minji asked softly once she was able to make eye contact with the Yoohyeon.

“I uh – yeah, yes this is okay,” Yoohyeon stuttered out. The Princess internally scoffed, hating how _uncool_ she sounded. Then again, Yoohyeon was awkward to begin with, so when a beautiful woman that she had growing feelings for initiated any sort of physical contact with her, there was no way for her to remain even remotely calm.

Minji yawned slightly, bringing her hand up to her mouth quickly to try and stifle the sound.

“Are you tired, Minji?” Yoohyeon asked, turning to look at the woman who continued to cutely nuzzle her head against Yoohyeon’s shoulder.

“Yes, Princess. Can I go back to my room soon?”

“I mean you can stay here for the night,” Yoohyeon said in a moment of bravery, immediately biting her lip as the words left her mouth, hastily adding, “if you want that is.”

“Mm, alright,” Minji said after she thought the offer over. She couldn’t deny that Yoohyeon’s bed was way comfier than her own. And ironically enough, Minji found the servant’s room to be rather lonely, because even though the space was overrun with chatting women, she had only really connected with Handong and Shuhua, both of whom spent more time sleeping than doing anything else.

Yoohyeon bit back an excited squeal, and instead just nodded at Minji’s agreeance to her idea, suggesting the two get up so they could get ready for bed. Minji rolled out of the bed, stretching her arms above her head as she let out another yawn. She watched sleepily as Yoohyeon pulled back the covers, and then began ushering Minji towards her in suite bathroom. 

Once Minji was closed into her bathroom, Yoohyeon pulled out a pair of pajamas, changing quickly so she could be done before Minji came out. After Minji was done in bathroom, Yoohyeon took her turn. She took her time washing her face and brushing her teeth, trying to keep her heart calm at the thought of sleeping in a bed next to the older woman. After she felt like she could keep herself together, Yoohyeon stepped out of the bathroom and noticed that Minji was wearing pajamas – her pajamas!

“I hope you don’t mind that I borrowed some of your clothes,” Minji said apologetically, “it just seemed easier than going all the way down to the servants’ wing. Plus, I’ve been borrowing other peoples’ clothes my entire time here, so I’m kind of used to it.” The older woman stood there, smiling at Yoohyeon as she played with the ruffles on the sleeves.

“That’s fine,” Yoohyeon squeaked, quickly making her way to her bed and getting under the covers, pulling the blanket up to her chin as she stared expectantly back at the other woman.

Minji wordlessly made her way over to the bed, momentarily peeling the sheets back so she could get under them, laying close to Yoohyeon, but not close enough that the two were touching.

“Your bed is so comfy,” Minji revealed, rolling over to face Yoohyeon. She gave the Princess a grateful smile, and adjusted her head on the pillow, placing her hands under her head as she closed her eyes. “Goodnight, Yoohyeon.”

“Goodnight, Minji,” Yoohyeon replied, opting to stay laying on her back, eyes staring at the ceiling.

A few minutes later and Yoohyeon could hear that Minji’s breathing had evened out, signaling that the other woman was no longer awake. Yoohyeon, on the other hand, wasn’t all that tired, and she was having a hard time falling to sleep with the woman’s warm breath hitting her cheek every time she exhaled. She sighed, eventually turning over so she was facing away from the other woman, hoping that would help. And although it still took some time, and lots of shuffling around, Yoohyeon eventually found herself drifting to sleep; a small smile on her face at the thought that when she woke up Minji would be there with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :)


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Hope you're staying safe and healthy :)

Yoohyeon awoke the next morning to a loose strand of hair tickling her cheek. After a moment of confusion, the Princess remembered how Minji had stayed the night with her, and she immediately tensed once she realized that not only was the other woman’s hair touching her, but that Minji’s entire body was curled up alongside her. The Princess wasn’t quite sure how it happened, but she assumed that at some point after she had fallen asleep that Minji had unconsciously shifted closer to her. The Princess smiled, letting her eyes drift closed as she relished how nice this felt. After Irene, she hadn’t shared her bed with anyone, other than Gahyeon of course, which was an entirely different scenario, and she couldn’t deny that she had missed the feeling of having someone wrapped in her arms.

However, the Princess was quickly reminded of why she had woken up, and that was that she _really_ needed to pee. She sighed, and began shifting out of Minji’s grasp as gently as possible, hoping she wouldn’t wake the other girl. Yoohyeon also didn’t know how the other woman react if she woke up and saw just how cuddly the pair had gotten throughout the night, since she assumed the other woman hadn’t done it intentionally. Luckily for the Princess, Minji appeared to be a heavy sleeper, and she got out of bed and to the bathroom without disrupting the older woman.

After using the bathroom, Yoohyeon made her way back to her bedroom, opting to sit on the bed a respectable distance from Minji, who continued to snore lightly into Yoohyeon’s pillow. The Princess stared down at Minji, studying the woman’s features. She couldn’t help but notice how peaceful the woman looked, which wasn’t necessarily how she would describe an awake Minji. The older woman was constantly on edge, and though Yoohyeon finally understood why, it didn’t mean that the Princess wasn’t sad about her perpetual discomfort.

An abrupt knock on the door startled Yoohyeon out of her thoughts, and Yoohyeon hopped up quickly, wanting to answer the door before the noise bothered the woman sleeping beside her. The Princess quickly glanced at the clock, and noticed it was shortly after nine. She relaxed slightly, thinking that that must be Handong coming at her normal time.

“Hi Handong,” Yoohyeon greeted quietly, once she opened the door and confirmed that it was in fact the servant girl.

“Good morning, Princess. I uh, didn’t see Minji last night. Do you happen to know where she is?” Handong asked, raising an accusatory brow at the Princess. Though Handong had tried to phrase the question in a neutral manner, considering she was still a servant after all, Yoohyeon couldn’t help but notice the judgmental tone that crept in.

“She’s asleep…” Yoohyeon replied sheepishly, stepping away from the doorway so that Handong could see past her into the room, where Minji was still sound asleep.

Handong bit her tongue, but let a concerned frown appear on her lips.

“Princess, can we talk? Alone.” Handong said using a tone that led the princess to believe she wasn’t asking, but instead telling.

“Sure, I –” Yoohyeon was cut off as Handong grabbed the other woman’s arm, tugging her out of her bedroom and into the hallway. The servant led the woman down the hall, glancing at the other servants and guards that were roaming the area.

“Is there a place where there are fewer listeners, Princess? I believe we would both benefit from some privacy.”  
  
“Y-yeah,” Yoohyeon muttered, still reeling from how Handong was acting. Had she thought that the two had slept together? I mean they technically did, but Handong was treating Yoohyeon as if Minji was her daughter she had to protect and the two had just had sex. Then again, considering Yoohyeon’s reputation, she couldn’t really blame Handong if that was what she thought. While trying to come up with a way to convince Handong that nothing had happened between her and Minji, the Princess led them to a spare bedroom a few doors down from her own room.

Yoohyeon pulled out a chair from the desk, and motioned for Handong to sit down. Once the servant was seated, Yoohyeon made her way to the bed, wringing her hands nervously as she got situated and faced the other woman.

“Princess. What are you doing with Minji?”

Yoohyeon snapped her head up to look at Handong, not expecting the other woman to be so direct. The other woman just held her gaze, the concern etched onto her face unwavering.

“Nothing. We were tired, and I offered she could stay in my bed, so she did.”

“And all you did was sleep? Because we both know how poorly things went last time you got _involved_ with a servant…”

Yoohyeon flinched, letting out a little whimper at the reminder of Irene. The Princess didn’t know how long she would hold onto this guilt, feeling as though she was the reason Irene was killed. No, _knowing_ she was the reason Irene was killed. Actually, now that she thought about it, she figured the guilt would likely never go away, and that was something Yoohyeon would have to learn to deal with. The guilt was something she deserved, Yoohyeon reminded herself.

“Yes, we just slept. And I know what happened last time, but I’m not letting my father take Minji, or anyone, you included, away from me every again. He – he did something horrible, and continues to do things that are horrible, but I won’t let that happen anymore…” Yoohyeon frowned, hoping the other woman would believe her. And she meant it. She didn’t know exactly _how_ she could prevent her father from killing people, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t try. The problem was Yoohyeon didn’t have authority over anyone. Yes, she had Minji and Handong, but technically her father was in charge of them. And while guards and servants would listen to her directives, they would always defer to the King’s orders if hers and his differed.

“Did you want to just sleep?” Handong retorted icily, crossing her arms over her chest as she patiently waited for the Princess to answer.

“What?” Yoohyeon replied, eyes wide as she felt her cheeks redden at the insinuation. She had feelings for Minji, yes, and had she had the urge to kiss her or thoughts of maybe doing something more on occasion, sure, but she hadn’t asked Minji to sleep in her bed for sex.

“Princess, I’m asking you if you have feelings for Minji. Because I think you do, and if I’m being honest here, since that’s what we’re doing now, I had thought the only reason you acquired her as your servant was so that you could bed her,” Handong stated, sighing in relief after finally letting all those thoughts that she been holding in for so long out.

Yoohyeon’s cheeks blushed impossibly darker, as her eyes darted around frantically; seeking an escape from this conversation, but finding none.

“Do you have feelings for her?” Handong asked once again, tongue sharp as she stared at the Princess warily.

“Y-yes,” Yoohyeon eventually relented, dropping her eyes in embarrassment to fidget with her dress.

Handong didn’t say anything, put pursed her lips, deep in thought. Granted, the servant had basically already known this, but hearing confirmation directly from the Princess was another thing.

“But I really care about her, Handong,” the Princess pleaded with her servant, briefly lifting her eyes to glance at the other woman, trying to gauge her reaction.

“So you didn’t save her from being executed just because you’re physically attracted to her?”

“I hadn’t even known she was going to be executed! And I mean…not really?” Yoohyeon mumbled, chewing the tips of her nails. “She um – intrigued me, and I said I care about her now.”

“Okay,” Handong said slowly, nodding her head as she digested the words. It was clear to the servant Yoohyeon did care about the woman; she had personally never seen the woman so happy. So, while Handong wasn’t going to just let the Princess’s initially questionable intentions go, she figured Minji continued to be safe enough under Yoohyeon’s care for now. Besides, though the two had been spending more alone time together recently, Handong was still Yoohyeon’s personal servant, so she could keep an eye on the other woman as well.

Once Handong didn’t say anything more, Yoohyeon began reiterating how much she cared for Minji, and how she respected her woman enough to not act on her feelings.

“Alright,” Handong replied carefully, giving the Princess a tight smile once the woman lifted her surprised eyes to meet the servant’s own.

“Al-alright?” Yoohyeon whispered quietly, furrowing her brows at Handong.

“Yes, I’ll drop it for now. But know that if I even get a hunch that you’ve made Minji uncomfortable…I’ll intervene.” It was a bluff, Handong knew, there wasn’t much she could really do to help the other woman even if the girl became endangered with the Princess. After all, going to the King would likely just get Minji killed, and as a pain in the ass as the Princess could be, Handong knew she was nothing compared to the wrath of the Princess’s father. Yoohyeon was essentially harmless, but Handong thought it couldn’t hurt to at least make sure the Princess knew she was watching her every move with the prisoner.

“Thank you, Handong. I did mean what I said earlier too by the way…I want to keep my father from treating the people as he does. I just haven’t really figured out how to do that yet,” Yoohyeon revealed, smiling softly at Handong. The servant just nodded stoically in response, hoping the Princess was sincere.

“We should probably be heading back. Minji may already be awake,” Handong suggested, breaking the silence that had started to linger a little too long for her liking.

Yoohyeon nodded in response, standing to follow Handong quietly out of the room. She pinched the bridge of her nose once the servant’s back was turned, trying to relieve the stress she could feel building. Everything was beginning to feel very overwhelming, and she had never been one who was willing to sit around and wait, so Minji’s request to keep this from her father was already starting to drain her. But the Princess promised herself she would hold out, if not for herself but for the well-being of those around her. In addition to her younger sister Gahyeon, she now had someone else to protect, Minji, and the headache she felt forming was a direct result of the fear that she would fail, and somehow end up getting the other woman killed, just as she had with the last person that had meant so much to her.

\--- --- --- ---

Siyeon woke up the next day to the sun streaming through her blinds. Immediately she scowled, bringing her hands up to cover her eyes from the bright light. She let out a slight huff, rolling over so she was on her stomach, head buried deep into the pillow. The woman had had a restless night. She flipped from one side to the other for most of the night, worrying about meeting with SuA today and the royal guard tomorrow.

SuA. She had almost forgotten with how tired she was. Siyeon quickly sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She picked up her pocket watch from the side table and checked the time.   
“Shit,” Siyeon mumbled, noticing she had less than thirty minutes until she had planned to be heading over to SuA’s place. Granted, the two hadn’t set up a time they were going to meet, but Siyeon selfishly wanted to make the most of her last day with the woman. Quickly Siyeon stood up from the bed, discarding her clothes on her way to the bathroom. Siyeon hopped in the shower, turning the water as hot as it could go, which unsurprisingly wasn’t very hot. Actually, it would be a stretch to even call the water warm. It was moments like these where Siyeon was reminded of how nice it was to be a royal guard. Having spent even a short amount of time among the commoners and Siyeon had gotten a whole new understanding of how terrible their quality of life truly was. While Siyeon knew just how much the guard terrorized the townspeople, she hadn’t really grasped how poverty-ridden the village was. It was sad really, Siyeon mused, thinking about all of the lavish goods in the palace. From gold silverware to the King collection of hundreds of articles of clothing, there was no expense spared for the King and his daughters. And though Siyeon and other members of the guard had considerably less wealth than the royal family, they still lived incredibly comfortable lives in comparison to even the seemingly most well-off villagers. Since Siyeon’s parents were high ranking members of the guard, she had never had to live the life of a commoner, and quite frankly, was looking forward to hopefully never having to do it again after today.

After wrapping up her shower, Siyeon dressed herself in what she thought was the prettiest dress she had brought with her. Though it was nothing too fancy since she needed to blend in, she thought the colors in the patterning on the article of clothing really brought out her eyes. The guard smiled in the cracked mirror, pleased with her appearance. She had wanted to look good for SuA today, but she shook her head of those thoughts, determined not to dwell on what that meant for too long.

A little over fifteen minutes later and Siyeon was headed to SuA’s home. She carried a picnic basket in one hand and a blanket in the other. Siyeon was trying to recreate the picnic they had had back when she had basically first met the other woman. The two had had a nice time, and SuA had seemed to really appreciate it when Siyeon cooked for her.

Luckily, the walk to SuA’s house was relatively short, and Siyeon arrived before she had too much time to dwell on the reality that this would likely be the last time SuA would look at her the same. After all, once SuA figured out Siyeon had been using her, the enamored looks would stop, and instead be replaced with disgust and hatred for the other woman.

“Siyeon, hi!” SuA squealed as she ran down her front steps, having noticed the woman coming from the down the road.

“Hello, SuA!” Siyeon exclaimed, smiling back at the tiny woman bounding towards her. “How are – “ Siyeon’s words were cut off with a low grunt as SuA ran into her, completely knocking the wind out of the taller woman.

“I’m good! How are you?” SuA responded, having guessed at what Siyeon was going to ask. She stood flush against Siyeon, wrapping her arms tightly around her midsection and bringing her face to nuzzle it against Siyeon’s shoulder, near the crook of the other woman’s neck.

“I’m doing good,” Siyeon replied, forcing a smile. It was true that she felt better now that she was seeing the other woman, but she couldn’t shake the feelings of regret that were _already_ swirling in her stomach. She immediately reprimanded herself, reminding herself it was important to just enjoy today and worry about tomorrow, well, tomorrow. Siyeon glanced at the window of the tiny house SuA had emerged from, seeing an older man peering from behind the curtains. She averted her gaze, assuming that must be the other woman’s father and instantly feeling uncomfortable under his judgmental eyes. “Alright, come on let’s go…” Siyeon said, pulling out of the embrace and taking SuA’s hand.

“Okay. Where to?” SuA asked in a cheerful tone, not missing a beat as she intertwined her fingers with Siyeon’s longer, slimmer ones, and began bouncing along with the other woman.

“The park. I packed lunch,” Siyeon explained, lifting her arm to show SuA the picnic basket that she was holding.

“Oh, how fun!” SuA cheered, smiling up at the taller woman.

Siyeon just nodded in response, letting her own lips mirror SuA’s expression as she led the pair down the cobblestone path towards their destination.

Upon arrival, Siyeon picked a clear spot of grass and carefully laid out the blanket and ushered SuA to sit down. Once SuA had gotten settled, Siyeon plopped next to her and opened the basket, pulling out a bottle of wine.

“Oh? What’s the special occasion?” SuA asked wide eyed, pointing at the bottle of red wine that Siyeon was currently pouring into some glasses. It wasn’t often that she drank, seeing as alcohol was an expensive item that was a luxury she typically couldn’t afford. Plus, SuA didn’t handle her alcohol all that well. She blushed, thinking of the last time her and Minji had gotten drunk together and the shenanigans that had ensued.

“Spending time with you is reason enough,” Siyeon admitted, shrugging her shoulders as she handed SuA a glass. “Cheers.”

SuA smiled affectionately and raised the glass to her lips, taking a generous swig of the drink. Siyeon took a sip of her own glass and smiled as the liquid hit her tongue. Though the royal guard was able to drink quite frequently back at the castle, she hadn’t consumed any alcohol since heading out for this mission, and she had almost forgotten how nice it was to drink something other than well water.

The two fell into easy conversation. Thanks to SuA’s loud mouth and energetic demeanor, things were rarely quiet between the pair. Siyeon laughed as SuA shared a story about her childhood. It was yet another shared memory between the smaller woman and Minji, which should make Siyeon uncomfortable under the circumstances, but Siyeon was able to forget who she was, what she was, when she was with the younger girl. It was freeing, really.

“You two sure got into a lot of trouble when you were younger!” Siyeon commented, shaking her head at SuA, who just smirked back at her mischievously.

“Oh, we still do – did…” SuA trailed off, frowning slightly as she brought her glass to her lips, downing the rest of her wine. “More please,” SuA held her glass up to Siyeon, her voice slightly slurred as she watched the other woman pour her her third glass of wine.

Siyeon sighed, not having intended to upset the other woman. She looked into SuA’s eyes and saw the despair that was present deep within them. “You really miss her, huh?” Siyeon asked rhetorically, placing her hand on SuA’s cheek and stroking it lightly.

“Almost every second of every day,” SuA replied, nodding her head as she leaned into Siyeon’s touch, letting her eyes close as a lone tear rolled down her face.

“I’m so sorry, SuA,” Siyeon said, frowning at the distressed woman.

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault. Plus, the only times I have been truly happy recently are when I’m with you. You make me forget…” SuA said softly, slightly embarrassed at the admission.

Siyeon’s frown deepened. Ironically, it was quite literally Siyeon’s fault that Minji was in captivity. However, SuA obviously didn’t know that, and it made Siyeon feel even guiltier than she already felt. Without giving the action too much thought, Siyeon pulled SuA into a hug and placed a couple soft kisses on the woman’s forehead, hoping to comfort the smaller woman.

SuA sighed happily in the woman’s embrace, burying her head deeper into Siyeon’s neck as she bit back a pitiful sob that was threatening to come out.

“Can we go back to your place?” SuA mumbled into Siyeon’s neck. Siyeon involuntarily shivered at the vibrations on her neck, but recovered quickly and pulled the tiny woman onto her feet.

“Of course, sweetheart,” Siyeon said as she began gathering up all of their belongings. The term of endearment slipped past her lips unintentionally, but the smile that crossed SuA’s face at the nickname made it worth it.

The two began their walk back to Siyeon’s place in silence. Each woman was lost in thought, but Siyeon subconsciously rubbed her thumb across the back of SuA’s hand. The action didn’t go unnoticed by SuA, who blushed slightly at the repetitive motion. As the two neared the center of the town, Siyeon immediately noticed the area was more crowded than usual for this late in the afternoon. The guard glanced around, curious as to why so many people were milling about. SuA noticed Siyeon’s confusion, and looked curiously at the other woman.

“What? Have you never been in town during the celebration?” SuA asked incredulously, with a disappointed expression on her face.

“No…” Siyeon replied hesitantly, having absolutely no idea what the woman was referring to. However, by the disbelief in SuA’s voice, Siyeon thought it may be suspect to ask, so she didn’t bother inquiring as to what this “celebration” was about.

“Really? Not even before everything changed?” SuA said, eyes wide in shock.

“I can’t say I have.” Siyeon crinkled her brow, entirely lost. She began panicking, wondering if this was where she would be found out. Having been involved in palace life for basically her entire existence considering her parents’ role, and then her own, in the guard, she had never participated in much of village life, even as a child.

“Well that’s just unacceptable!” SuA exclaimed, immediately pulling Siyeon with her further into the crowd, leading her towards the town square.

A few seconds later and Siyeon began to hear something besides the chatter of the excited villagers, something that Siyeon immediately recognized as music – live music. She raised her eyebrows in surprise, having only heard live music a few times in her life. Granted, she knew the younger Princess was quite musically inclined and had heard her play the piano a few times in passing, but she hadn’t realized the villagers practiced such a thing.

“Dance with me,” SuA requested, smiling up at Siyeon with a hopeful look in her eyes. Siyeon awkwardly glanced around, and noticed that there were many people of all different ages gathered around, dancing in small groups or couples to the upbeat song that was playing.

“A-alright,” Siyeon stuttered, completely out of her comfort zone.

SuA let out an excited squeal, and took the picnic basket and blanket from Siyeon’s arms, setting the items on the street corner and out of the way. “Follow me,” SuA said, taking Siyeon’s hand and leading her into the crowd. Siyeon followed along obediently. The guard eyed the villagers suspiciously, wondering what the cause for such joy among them was.

Eventually, SuA found space for them amongst the crowd, and turned to face Siyeon. SuA immediately noticed the hesitance etched on Siyeon’s features as the taller woman scanned the people around them, and laughed slightly.

Siyeon snapped her back towards SuA, having barely heard the woman’s signature cackle over the noise of the music. “What’s so funny?” She asked, letting a small smile grace her lips as she admired the smaller woman giggling across from her.

“I take it you aren’t a dancer?” SuA asked, smirking back up at the other woman.

“Not in the slightest,” Siyeon replied, shaking her head rapidly.

“That’s okay. Just follow my lead,” SuA instructed, smiling warmly at the other woman. As she finished speaking, the band switched songs, and a slower, more romantic tune filled the air. SuA sucked in her breath, but slowly pulled Siyeon closer, so that the two were standing face-to-face. SuA placed one of Siyeon’s hands on her waist, and brought her own hand to rest on the taller woman’s shoulder. She briefly paused, giving Siyeon a chance to pull away if she was uncomfortable. However, Siyeon just stared back at SuA, so the shorter of the two women began leading them in a swaying motion to the rhythm of the music.

“This is…nice,” Siyeon admitted after a few minutes of silently dancing with the younger woman.

“Mmhmm,” SuA mumbled in agreeance as she slowly got closer to Siyeon, leaning her head against the other one’s shoulder.

Siyeon smiled despite herself, comfortably resting her chin on the top of SuA’s head. She blinked back tears that were threatening to form. Why did she have to like this woman so much? Siyeon chewed her lip as she continued to remind herself that she had built this friendship for a purpose, and it wasn’t so that she could play dolls and braid hair with her. It was to protect the King, and ultimately herself from the King’s wrath. She subconsciously hugged the other woman tighter. Flexing her fingers against SuA’s waist possessively. Maybe the King would let me keep her like he let his daughter keep Minji, Siyeon mused as she breathed in the scent of SuA’s hair. She laughed at the thought, reprimanding herself for how _gross_ that sounded. Siyeon frowned, knowing the woman wouldn’t want anything to do with her anyway after she found out she was being used. And yes, Siyeon liked _this_ SuA, but she didn’t have high hopes that the smaller woman would be pleasant to be around after this.

Suddenly Siyeon felt SuA shift in her arms, and before she had time to react, Siyeon felt a soft, almost hesitant pair of lips meet her own. SuA’s lips ghosted over Siyeon’s momentarily, before she cautiously connected them with the other woman’s. SuA sighed into the kiss contently, bringing her arms to gently grip at the back of Siyeon’s neck.

Siyeon, on the other hand, froze at the contact; completely caught off guard by what was happening. She felt the smaller woman begin to move her lips, coaxing Siyeon to match her movements, and against her better judgement, Siyeon did. The guard wrapped both her arms around SuA’s waist, tugging the woman impossibly closer as she moaned slightly into the kiss. It felt good. Too good. And as fast as it started, Siyeon stopped it, pulling away as her eyes popped open. She stared down at SuA, chest heaving slightly. Siyeon bristled, realizing she was breathing heavy not because she was out of breath, considering the kiss lasted no more than ten seconds, but because she was beginning to get turned on. _Fuck,_ Siyeon thought, this cannot be happening. But in all honestly, she wasn’t all that surprised, seeing as she had all but confirmed the fact that SuA was into her. However, Siyeon realized this was worse than she thought, because she actually wanted to kiss the girl back. She could almost feel her heart breaking at the realization; knowing that she may not only have grown fond of the tiny woman, but that she could have legitimate, romantic _feelings_ for SuA.

“I-I’m sorry,” SuA whimpered sheepishly, ducking her head to avoid the older woman’s intense gaze.

The embarrassed apology broke Siyeon from her thoughts, and she gently cupped SuA’s chin, lifting her head and forcing the shorter woman to look her in the eyes. “Don’t be,” Siyeon muttered, pulling SuA back in for a chaste kiss. She didn’t deserve this moment of happiness, Siyeon reflected, but SuA did. And if SuA wanted to kiss her, Siyeon would let her. After all, it was just for the night. Just one more night… “Come on, let’s go home,” Siyeon suggested after she pulled away, smiling down on SuA, taking in the relief and pure bliss that had replaced the look of shame on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now two side ships have kissed before JiYoo *smh* BUT don't worry, their time will come :D


End file.
